In-Vitro Antidiabetic Effect of Ziziphus mucronata Leave Extracts

Background: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to the body’s inability to produce insulin or inaction of the produced insulin or a combination of both. One antidiabetic therapeutic approach is to reduce gastrointestinal glucose production and absorption through the inhibition of carbohydrate digesting enzymes such as alpha-amylase as well as through the inhibition of hemoglobin glycosylation. Objective: This study sets out to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic activity of Ziziphus mucronata extracts for their effect on alpha-amylase and glycosylation of hemoglobin. Methods: Successive gradient maceration of Z. mucronata leaves were carried out using Hexane, Acetone, Methanol and separately with water to obtain four (4) extracts labelled HE, AE, ME, and WE respectively. These were subjected to in vitro studies for their inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase and hemoglobin glycosylation, Standard laboratory methods were used to screen for phytochemicals of the most potent extract. Results: The result showed that AE, ME and WE extract exhibited a dose-dependent increase in percentage inhibition of both alpha-amylase and hemoglobin glycosylation. However, on a stricking note, the AE showed a more potent data result with percentage (%) potency of 71.02 at 1mg/ml, the lowest glucose concentration (of 25mg/ml) at 0.242nm as well as the highest hemoglobin glycosylation inhibitory mean concentration of 3.663nm after 72 hours. The AE of Z. mucronata (the most potent) revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinone, glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, saponin, tanins and terpenoids. Conclusion: Thus, the Acetone extract is more likely to give a lead antidiabetic drug molecule of drug when further explored; which somewhat justify the folkloric claims of Z. mucronata leave as an antidiabetic. Keywords: Heamoglabin glycosylation, Alpha-amylase enzymes, Inhibition, Glucose.