Evaluation of α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Effect of 50% Ethanolic Standardized Extract of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth in Normal and Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract EN

In the present study, a 50% ethanolic extract of Orthosiphon stamineus was tested for its α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

In vivo assays of the extract (containing 1.02%, 3.76%, and 3.03% of 3′hydroxy-5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin, resp.) showed that it possessed an inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase in normal rats loaded with starch and sucrose.

The results showed that 1000 mg/kg of the 50% ethanolic extract of O.

stamineus significantly ( P < 0.05 ) decreased the plasma glucose levels of the experimental animals in a manner resembling the effect of acarbose.

In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, only the group treated with 1000 mg/kg of the extract showed significantly ( P < 0.05 ) lower plasma glucose levels after starch loading.

Hence, α-glucosidase inhibition might be one of the mechanisms by which O.

stamineus extract exerts its antidiabetic effect.

Furthermore, our findings indicated that the 50% ethanolic extract of O.

stamineus can be considered as a potential agent for the management of diabetes mellitus.