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Sources of Polyphenols with Potential α-Glucosidase-Inhibitory Activities from Thai Local Edible Plants: In Vitro and
Ploenthip Puthongking1,2, Juthamat Ratha2, Pimolwan Siriparu3
1Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Abstract:
Plant polyphenols possess various biological activities such as antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Based on the high plant biodiversity in Thailand, selected edible plants were therefore investigated to explore how dietary polyphenols and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity can contribute to significant control and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Network pharmacology of antidiabetic activity was employed to predict the underlying antidiabetic mechanisms of the phytochemicals identified in the 15 selected edible Thai plants. The results showed that wild guava (Careya arborea Roxb.; CaA) leaf extract presented the highest total phenolic content (TPC). CaA exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in all the assays as a function of its TPC. Moreover, CaA showed the highest inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase activity in the test, with an IC50 of 0.13 µg/mL, being approximately 1600 times more potent than the standard α-glucosidase-inhibitory drug acarbose. Phenolic profile analysis revealed that the CaA leaf extract consisted of gallic acid, caffeic acid, sinapic acid, rutin, and quercetin. The phytochemical contents of CaA strongly contributed to its antioxidant and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activity. In addition to other phytochemicals, the highest contents of the indolamine compounds tryptophan and melatonin were found in malabar spinach (Basella alba L.; BA) and water clover (Marsilea crenata C. Presl; MaC), at 2213.05 and 99.17 ng/g DW, respectively. Network pharmacology on antidiabetic activity exhibited the most relevant pathway involved in the insulin resistance and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways that caused glucose and glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle, increasing hepatic gluconeogenesis, and reduced glycogen synthesis in the liver. The implication of these findings is that these Thai edible plants have the potential to combat diabetes by inhibiting the function of α-glucosidase.
