Anti-diabetic properties of many plants are documented so far, predominantly due to
some polyphenolic compounds that can inhibit enzymes involved in the digestion of
carbohydrates and
significantly reduce the postprandial increase of blood glucose [1]. Lysimachia vulgaris L., commonly known as yellow loosestrife, is a medicinal plant
traditionally used to treat ulcers, fever, inflammation, and diarrhea. Its antifungal,
antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties have also been verified. The
aim of this
investigation was to evaluate the possible inhibition activity of α-amylase and
α-glucosidase using aerial part (LVA) and root (LVR) methanolic extracts of L. vulgaris. The results
showed that LVR has a significantly higher ability to inhibit both enzymes (IC50 = 146.34 µg/mL for α-amylase: IC50 < 31.25 µg/mL for α-glucosidase) in comparison with
LVA extract. Furthermore, when compared to acarbose (IC50 = 340.13 µg/mL), a drug used as medicine for many years to treat diabetes mellitus
type 2, LVR had approximately ten times
higher inhibition activity of α-glucosidase. However, acarbose was significantly
more effective in the inhibition of α-amylase compared with the tested extracts. The
obtained results are in
correlation with our previous research which confirmed that LVR is richer in the
phenolic compounds content in comparison with LVA. Due to the strong inhibition potential
of LVR extract,
further research may be on the identification and quantification of compounds
in extracts responsible for the inhibition of these enzymes, as well as in vivo animal
experiments for possible
treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2 using L. vulgaris.
