Multi-antidiabetic Properties and Cytotoxic Activities of Selected Indigenous Myanmar Medicinal Plants

ABSTRACT

Antidiabetic and cytotoxic properties of selected indigenous Myanmar medicinal plants were assessed. In vitro scavenging assays of 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl, nitric oxide, superoxide radicals, and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays were used to determine the antioxidant activities. Total phenolics were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu’s method. Antiglycation, α-glucosidase, and DPP-IV inhibitory assays were used to identify the antidiabetic activity. Cytotoxicity was investigated by the hemolytic activity of human red blood cells (RBCs). The leaf extract of Nauclea orientalis demonstrated the highest activity for DPPH inhibitory assay with an IC₅₀ value of 29.57 ± 1.40 µg mL⁻¹. The root extract of Acacia leucophloea was the most active in NO radical scavenging assay, α glucosidase inhibitory and antiglycation assay with IC₅₀ value of 80.62 ± 5.36, 1.93 ± 0.08, and 4.63 ± 0.16 µg mL⁻¹, respectively, and had the highest FRAP with an OD₆₂₀ value of 0.38 ± 0.010. The Juniperus communis powder extract had the best activity for antiglycation and DPP-IV inhibitory assay with IC₅₀ values of 4.50 ± 0.11 and 58.56 ± 4.03 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. Phyllanthus reticulatus leaf extracts had the highest SO radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 44.12 ± 4.75 µg mL⁻¹. All extracts had relatively low cytotoxicity with a range of 9.13–17.92% lysis to RBCs.

KEYWORDS:

• Myanmar medicinal plants
• antioxidant
• antiglycation
• antihyperglycemic
• dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitory

Acknowledgments

This research work has been financially supported by Biotechnology Research Department, Ministry of Education, Myanmar (Grant number: ThaTaTaSa/NaSaNaPa/ 3/2020/129), and it is greatly appreciated by the authors. The authors are grateful to Dr. Aung Khaing Phyo, Environmental Biotechnology Department, Ministry of Education, for helping proofread the manuscript and Dr. Win Win Khaing, Associate Professor, Department of Botany, Mandalay University for helping with botanical identification.

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education [ThaTaTaSa/NaSaNaPa/3/2020/129].