STARCH HYDROLASE INHIBITORS FROM TROPICAL BOTANICALS: METHODOLOGY, HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING AND SYNERGY

Abstract

THE NUMBER OF DIABETES CASES IS ON THE RISE WORLDWIDE. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, VARIOUS HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING ASSAYS HAVE BEEN APPLIED BUT NOT PROPERLY EVALUATED IN THEIR APPLICATION TO THE SCREEN FOR STARCH HYDROLASE INHIBITORS IN BOTANICALS. THIS RESULTS IN FALSE POSITIVES. THIS WORK EVALUATES THE USE OF THE P-NITROPHENOL-A-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE ASSAY BY COMPARING THE IMPACT OF SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL SUBSTRATES ON INHIBITOR POTENCY. FURTHERMORE, THE DEGREES OF INTERFERENCES CAUSED BY POLYPHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FOUND IN THE PLANT KINGDOM ON THE GLUCOSE OXIDASE/PEROXIDASE ASSAY WERE ALSO ASSESSED. COLLABORATION WITH SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS TO SCREEN 298 MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR A-AMYLASE AND A-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITION ACTIVITY LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FOR FUTURE IN-DEPTH STUDIES. FURTHER ASSAY-GUIDED FRACTIONATION AND SEPARATION OF THE POLYPHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM THE GINGER FLOWER (ETLINGERA ELATIOR) WERE CARRIED OUT AND RESULTS INDICATED THAT PROANTHOCYANIDINS PRESENT IN THE E. ELATIOR EXTRACT HAD PO