Evaluation of chemical composition, in vitro antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities of solvent extracts of Irvingia gabonensis leaves

Irvingia gabonensis baill. (African Mango): A comprehensive review of its ethnopharmacological significance, unveiling its long-standing history and therapeutic potential

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O'Rorke) Baill. (IG) is a multipurpose tree native to tropical Africa such as Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon with high ethnomedicinal values.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review emphasizes the ethnopharmacological significance, phytochemical, and functional properties of African mango, focusing on its potential for human health and industrial applications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Literature published on IG was traced by different databases, including the Egyptian Knowledge Bank database (EKB), ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholars, Research Gate, Web of Science, Elsevier, and Scopus. Numerous keywords were used to achieve an inclusive search in the databases, like 'African Mango', 'Bush Mango', 'Irvingia gabonensis', 'Wild Mango', 'Dika Nut', 'Phytochemistry', 'Traditional uses', 'Functional foods', 'Polyphenols', 'Ogbono', 'Ellagic acid and its derivatives', and 'Pharmacological activities'.

RESULTS

Different parts of IG have been employed in traditional medicine and recorded a great success. The ripe fruit pulp was consumed fresh or processed into juice and wine documented for anti-diarrheal, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The kernels, which are widely traded and incorporated into traditional dishes, remain an integral part of culinary traditions. Seeds have folkloric uses for weight loss and are popular as blood thinners and anti-diabetics. Where the bark is reported for dysentery, colic, scabies, toothache, and various skin conditions. In Senegal, the stem bark is employed for gonorrhea, hepatic disorders, and gastrointestinal ailments. The leaves possess the potential to enhance renal and hepatic functions, safeguarding these vital organs against the detrimental effects of toxic substances. Pulp is rich in vitamin C, carbohydrates, and proteins. Oil is the major constituent of the seed, which is mainly composed of myristic and lauric acids. The defatted extracts are characterized by flavonoid glycosides and ellagic acid derivatives. Despite their widespread use, IG extracts are still inadequately characterized phytochemically and merit further investigation within the realm of scientific research. Encouragingly, toxicity studies have demonstrated the relative safety of IG extract at the administered doses.

CONCLUSION

The review extends our knowledge of the health benefits of IG, where these effects could be attributed to the phytochemicals present.

Pharmacognostic standardization and evaluation of antiulcer potential of Olax psittacorum leaf extract

The modern medicine has received many plants as a gift from ethnobotany. It is an efficient method of discovering new medicines. The leaves of Olax psittacorum (Lam.) Vahl. were extracted with ethanol, and the phytoconstituents present in the leaf extract were identified using Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis (GC-MS), followed by determination of physico-chemical parameters and anti-ulcer properties. The leaf ethanolic extract (LEE) yield was observed to be 43.2%. The quantitative surface microscopy analysis revealed a stomatal index of 30 and 22 epidermal cells and qualitatively confirms presence of quinone, flavonoid, phenol, carbohydrate, tannin, saponin and absence of alkaloids using various screening techniques. The LEE confirms its anti-ulcer potency by inhibiting ulceration by 58% and 75% respectively, thus proving the hypothesis. These identified parameters may be helpful in developing some botanical standards for the standardisation and identification of O. psittacorum leaves with anti-ulcer properties.

Characterization, Anti-glycation, Anti-inflammation, and Lipase Inhibitory Properties of Rauvolfia vomitoria Leaf Extract: In Vitro and In Silico Evaluations for Obesity Treatment

Pancreatic lipase (PLP) is an enzyme responsible for the catalytic hydrolysis of fats and its inhibition is relevant for obesity management. Side effects linked with orthodox inhibitors have, however, paved the way for an increased search for safe natural sources. The present study investigated the anti-glycation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-lipase properties of Rauvolfia vomitoria aqueous (ARV), ethanolic (ERV), and methanolic (MRV) leaf extracts coupled with the molecular interactions of selected bioactive compounds with PLP using in vitro and in silico techniques. Phytochemical constituents were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Drug-likeness and chemical reactivity profile of selected bioactive compounds were analyzed using SwissADME and quantum chemical calculations. FT-IR and GC-MS affirmed the presence of phenolic compounds including 3-phenyl-2-ethoxypropylphthalimide and 5-methyl-2-phenyl-1H-indole. All extracts showed moderate anti-glycation, anti-inflammatory, and lipase inhibitory capacities relative to standard controls. However, MRV exhibited the highest lipase inhibition (IC50, 0.17 ± 0.01 mg/mL), using a mixed-inhibition pattern. MRV interaction with PLP resulted in decreased secondary structure components of PLP (α-sheet, β-turn). MRV compounds (MCP20, MCP28, etc.) exhibited low chemical hardness, EHOMO-ELUMO energy gap, and high chemical reactivity. Foremost MRV compounds obeyed Lipinski's rule of five for drug-likeness and interacted with PHE-78 amongst others at PLP catalytic domain with high binding affinity (≥ - 9.3 kcal/mol). Pi-alkyl hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding were predominantly involved. Our findings provide scientific insights into the ethnotherapeutic uses of R. vomitoria extracts for the management of obesity and related complications, plus useful information for optimizable drug-like candidates against obesity.

Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Potential of Ormocarpum cochinchinense (Lour.) Merr. Leaf: An Integrated In vitro and In silico Approach

Diabetes is a prevalent metabolic disorder associated with various complications. Inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes is an effective strategy for managing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of Ormocarpum cochinchinense leaf through in vitro and in silico approaches. The methanol extract exhibited the highest phenolic and flavonoid content over solvent extracts aqueous, acetone, hexane, and chloroform, the same has been correlating with strong antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the methanol extract demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, indicating its potential as an antidiabetic agent. Molecular docking analysis identified compounds, including myo-inositol, with favorable binding energies comparable to the standard drug metformin. The selected compounds displayed strong binding affinity towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Structural dynamics analysis revealed that myo-inositol formed a more stable complex with the enzymes. These findings suggest that O. cochinchinense leaf possesses antioxidant and antidiabetic properties, making it a potential source for developing therapeutic agents.