Membrane stabilization and probable mechanisms of hypoglycemic activity of fruit extract of Solanum incanum L. (Solanaceae)

This study investigated the antioxidant, membrane stabilization, and mechanisms of hypoglycemic attribute of aqueous fruit extract of Solanum incanum L. in vitro. The extract was separately incubated with α-amylase and α-glucosidase and subsequently with starch and p -nitrophenylglucopyranoside, respectively, while its glucose uptake regulatory effect was evaluated against Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The data obtained showed that the extract significantly modulated the rate of glucose uptake by yeast cells and had respective competitive and uncompetitive inhibitory influence on α-glucosidase and α-amylase with overall half-maximal values of 2.98 and 7.08 mg mL −1 relative to that of acarbose (4.93 and 5.59 mg mL −1 ). S. incanum also markedly halts free radicals in a manner comparable to silymarin. With a display of 86.67% potency against heat-induced hemolysis of bovine serum erythrocytes, the extract could also be said to have shown marked membrane stabilization activity. The effects shown by S. incanum at the investigated concentrations may be ascribed to its analytes as revealed by the results of the chromatographic analysis. Put together, besides being antioxidative, regulation of glucose uptake rate and enzymes’ activities are its probable mechanisms of hypoglycemic potential and has further provided baseline evidence for its antidiabetic application.