EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF FICUS CAPENSIS LEAF EXTRACT ON α-AMYLASE AND α-GLUCOSIDASE ENZYME ACTIVITY

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been generally employed as sources of natural drugs for decades. The α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme activities were assayed using standard methods. F. capensis leaves were harvested, washed, dried to constant weight, and ground to a coarse powder. The leaf extracts were prepared by soaking 100 grams of the dried powder in 1000 ml of ethanol or methanol for 72 hours with gentle stirring. Each was filtered and filtrates evaporated to dryness. The residues were dissolved in 0.02M Na phosphate buffer (pH 6.9) and used as stock solutions (10mg/ml) of ethanol and methanol extracts, respectively. The results showed both ethanol and methanol extracts exhibited potent inhibition of α-amylase (IC₅₀ of 1.71 ± 0.04 mg/ml and 1.66 ± 0.007 mg/ml respectively) and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ of 0.91± 0.01 mg/ml and 1.01± 0.02 mg/ml respectively).  Statistical analysis at (p<0.05), showed no significant difference between the percentage inhibition by ethanol and methanol extracts on either α-amylase or α-glucosidase activity. There was however a significant increase in the percentage inhibition by both ethanol and methanol extracts on α-amylase and α-glucosidase at (p<0.05), when compared with the inhibition of these enzymes by acarbose standard. This demonstrates that F. capensis can be used in management of postprandial hyperglycaemia in type II diabetes.