BIOACTIVITY-GUIDED EVALUATION OF BARLERIA GIBSONI DALZ. STEM EXTRACTS FOR α-AMYLASE INHIBITION AND GLUCOSE UPTAKE POTENTIAL

This experiment was conducted to determine in-vitro antidiabetic properties of Barleriagibsoni stem extracts based on the inhibition of α-amylase and uptake of glucose by yeast cell models. At varying concentrations, ethanol and aqueous extracts were evaluated and compared to the standard drug Metformin. The two extracts showed a concentration dependent rise in activity, but the ethanol extract always proved to have better inhibitory effects than the aqueous extract. The ethanol extract and the aqueous extract had 75.18 and 64.21% inhibition, respectively, in the glucose uptake assay, as compared to 87.10% inhibition of metformin. It is noteworthy that the ethanol extract had an activity of about 86% of the standard drug, and could be observed with a reasonable activity even at lower levels. The two extracts were moderate in the α-amylase inhibition assay, although the ethanol extract was more effective. Comparative analysis revealed that the ethanol extract was more effective in both assays implying that it is effective in extracting bioactive compounds like flavonoids, phenolics and alkaloids. Moreover, more pronounced action of the glucose uptake model in comparison with the one of alpha-amylase inhibition indicates a potential mechanism of increased utilization of peripheral glucose. Even though neither of the extracts outperformed the standard, the ethanol extract had similar efficacy, which means that it could be a promising natural adjunct in managing diabetes.