Evaluation of α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant potential of Acacia modesta root bark

Abstract

The α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant potential of dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of Acacia modesta root bark were evaluated to provide basis for isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive compounds. In α-glucosidase inhibition assay, dichloromethane and methanolic extracts exhibited inhibitory activity of 98.9 % and 99.9 % with IC₅₀ of 6.8 µg/ml and 1.2 µg/ml respectively. The results were compared with standard, acarbose, which showed 59.1 % inhibition with IC₅₀ of 540 µg/ml. While antioxidant assay results indicated that both dichloromethane and methanolicextractswere active with percentage radical scavenging activities of 76 % and 88 % respectively. IC₅₀ values were also calculated which were 283.33 µg/mlfor dichloromethane extract and 236.49 µg/ml for methanolic extract. Ascorbic acid was used as standard. These results confirm that Acacia modesta root bark extracts possess α-glucosidase inhibitors and antioxidants, thereby providing worthy justification for isolation of novel bioactive compounds.

Keywords: Acacia modesta, α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant, dichloromethane, methanolic