Bioactive molecules and the antidiabetic efficacy of Memecylon randerianum — an ethnomedicinal plant from the Western Ghats

Abstract

Diabetes is one of the most chronic diseases and a leading cause of death even though it is preventable. There are multiple therapeutic strategies like daily intake of drugs, insulin treatment and islet transplantation to manage severe diabetic complications. But the plant based therapy with regular exercise can improve diabetic control with reduced medication. The Malabar Memecylon, Memecylon randerianum S.M. Almeida & M.R. Almeida, is a medicinal shrub widely distributed in the Western Ghats of Kerala. Leaves are the most utilized plant part in traditional medicine. In vitro antidiabetic activity and HR-LCMS-QTOF analysis of the leaves, along with the screening of phytochemicals, has been executed in the present investigation. The methanolic extract showed the highest presence of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins etc. The quantitative screening revealed that saponins (211.16±1.9 mg/g) and flavonoids (209.74±2.12 mg/g) were highly concentrated, and the leaf extract showed significant dose-dependent inhibition on α-amylase and α- glucosidase. The glucose uptake in L6 cell lines was found to be increased by 25% compared to untreated cells (control) at 100 μg/mL sample concentration. HR-LCMS-QTOF analysis detected nine major compounds and showed that leaves of the plant could be used as an effective therapeutic agent against the most common type 2 diabetes.