In vitro antidiabetic activity of Caesalpina digyna (R.) methanol root extract

Diabetes is a clinical syndrome characterized by hy perglycemia due to absolute or relative deficiency of insulin. Recent decades have experien ced a sharp increase in the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus. One antidiabetic t herapeutic approach is to reduce gastrointestinal glucose production and absorption through the inhibition of carbohydrate digesting enzymes such as α- amylase and α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Inhibition of amylase and glucosidase enzymes involved in digestion of ca rbohydrates can significantly decrease the post prandial increase of blood glucose after a mix ed carbohydrate diet and therefore can be an important strategy in management of blood glucose. The aim of the current study was to screen the methanol extract of root of Caesalpinia digyna for its in vitro antidiabetic activity. Our assay result suggests that methanol extract of Caesalpini a digyna exhibit dose-dependent increase in percentage inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase enzymes (IC 50 402.23±10.14 µg/ml) and αamylase (IC 5 of 686.94 ± 3.98 µg/ml). Acarbose was used as a st andard drug.