Is there a simple, quick, and inexpensive method available for in vitro testing of potential herbal products: Anti-obesity and antidiabetic activity of Coleus schinzii

Abstract Introduction Obesity and diabetes mellitus are prevalent life-threatening metabolic disorders. Herbal products may provide potential treatments, but low-cost, quick methods to facilitate the discovery of active components are required. A simple cost-effective method used to assess extracts of Coleus schinzii for anti-obesity and antidiabetic effects is suggested. This approach provides a useful technique for researchers conducting preliminary in vitro studies for any plant extract. Methods Exhaustive extraction with solvents with various levels of polarity was used to extract all the phytochemicals from C. schinzii. Phytochemical screening tests were conducted utilizing standard analytical methods. A colorimetric spectrophotometer assay was utilized to demonstrate the anti-obesity (anti-lipase) and antidiabetic (anti-α-amylase and anti-α-glucosidase) activities, using 2,4-dinitrophenyl butyrate, 3, 5-dinitro salicylic acid, and p-nitrophenol-a-D-glucopyranoside (PNPG), respectively. For validation, all experimental work was conducted in triplicate, and results were considered significant when p values were less than 0.05. Results Phytochemical screening tests showed that methanolic extract was enriched with phenols, tannins, and flavonoids. Compared with the positive controls, results revealed that C. schinzii methanol extract has potential in-vitro anti-lipase, anti-α-amylase, and anti-α-glucosidase effects compared with the positive controls with IC50 doses of 64.07±0.57, 16.27±0.76 and 40.51±0.63 µg/ml, respectively. Conclusion C. schinzii, a traditional herbal medicine has not been previously screened for its lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. This was a useful preliminary technique to investigate this traditional medicinal plant and is a method that can be more widely utilized in the laboratory for other medicinal plants. As for any herbal product, pharmacological effects should be validated in-vivo and clinically.