ANTIOXIDANT AND INVITRO INHIBITION OF CARBOHYDRATE METABOLIZING ENZYMES OF CHOCOLATE FORTIFIED WITH POLYHERBAL EXTRACT

This study examines the effect of inclusion of polyherbal extract (4%) to chocolate on the antioxidant and inhibiting potential against amylase and glucosidase of chocolate. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS) radical scavenging assays were carried out. The impact of polyherbal extract on inhibition of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes (alpha-amylase and beta-glucosidase) by chocolate was also investigated in this study. The study had two groups: a control group and a group that was supplemented with 4% of polyherbal extract. The control group showed a lesser mean TAC (0.663 ± 0.022) than the extract-enhanced group (0.625 ± 0.035). Post-hoc analysis indicated different group differences, and statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed a significant difference in TAC values across groups (p 0.05). The control group had a higher mean FRAP (0.448 ± 0.045), whereas the 4ml extract group had lower FRAP values. Statistical analysis revealed a substantial difference in FRAP values across groups (p 0.05). The control group had the highest mean DPPH levels (0.582 ± 0.043), whereas the 4% extract group had a lower value. Statistical analysis revealed statistically significant changes in DPPH levels across groups (p 0.05), with comparisons indicating statistically significant differences. These data imply that polyherbal fortification modulates the antioxidant capabilities of chocolate, with variable effects found depending on the assay and polyherbal extract content. The findings show the potential for enriched chocolate to provide additional health advantages due to their higher antioxidant capacity.