Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a major metabolic disorder associated with impaired glucose regulation and oxidative stress, creating a need for plant-derived agents with antioxidant and carbohydrate-modulating properties. This study evaluated the in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of ethanol leaf extract of Abrus precatorius. We extracted the leaves by cold maceration in ethanol and evaluated the resulting extract for DPPH radical-scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), α-amylase inhibition, α-glucosidase inhibition, and glucose adsorption capacity. DPPH radical-scavenging activity increased from 11.55 ± 0.65% at 10 mg/mL to 54.05 ± 0.65% at 80 mg/mL, while FRAP activity increased progressively from 33.75 ± 0.34% at 40 mg/mL to 68.55 ± 0.25% at 160 mg/mL. The extract inhibited α-amylase activity, with inhibition values ranging from 33.94 ± 0.61% to 45.32 ± 0.43% across the tested concentrations, although these values were significantly lower than those obtained with acarbose (p < 0.001). α-Glucosidase inhibition increased from 39.89 ± 0.27% at 40 mg/mL to 56.09 ± 0.66% at 80 mg/mL, also remaining lower than acarbose. Under the tested conditions, the extract's glucose adsorption capacity ranged from 5.13 ± 0.08 to 6.50 ± 0.08 mmol/g. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant effects of concentration and sample type on the evaluated antidiabetic parameters (p < 0.001). These findings indicate that A. precatorius leaf extract possesses concentration-dependent antioxidant activity and moderate carbohydrate-digestive enzyme inhibitory potential, supporting its further investigation as a potential source of bioactive compounds for diabetes management.
Institution: Federal Polytechnic Nekede
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Tertiary Education Trust Fund
OpenAlex ID: W7214499485