ANTI-HYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITIES OF HUNTERIA UMBELLATA SEED EXTRACTS BY INHIBITION OF ALPHA-AMYLASE ENZYME

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia which continues to be a major global health burden. Current therapeutic options, including insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents, often present adverse effects and limitations which prompts the need for safer, plant-based alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the antihyperglycemic potential of Hunteria umbellata seed extracts by investigating their ability to inhibit alpha-amylase, a key enzyme in carbohydrate digestion. The seeds were extracted using methanol and ethyl acetate solvents, and the resulting extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity assays, enzyme inhibition studies, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins and phenols in both extracts. Quantitative results showed that the ethyl-acetate extract had higher flavonoid (0.522 mg QUER/g) than the methanol extract (0.158 mg QUER/g) and phenolic content of the ethylacetate extract (14.25 mg GAE/g) is more than the methanol extract (14.07 mg GAE/g). Antioxidant activities assessed using DPPH, which confirmed the free radical scavenging abilities of both extracts with the ethyl acetate extract having IC50 of 6188.077 mg/ml and methanol extract with IC50 of 0.814 mg/ml suggesting their potential in mitigating oxidative stress-related complications in diabetes. The extracts also demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase enzyme, with the ethyl-acetate extract having IC50 of 2.845 mg/ml while the methanol extract has IC50 of 0.814 mg/ml. GC-MS analysis of the extracts also revealed several pharmacologically active compounds, which includes methyl palmitate, palmitic acid, methyl oleate, and calcium hypochlorite, which have been associated with antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic effects.