<i>In vitro</i> evaluation of the phytochemical composition and kinetics study of <i>Ficus sur</i> leaf extracts in the inhibition of <i>α</i>-Glucosidase and <i>α</i>-amylase

Abstract

In Nigerian indigenous medicine, Ficus sur finds usage in a wide range of conditions, including diarrhea, anemia, wounds, stomach issues, infertility, peptic ulcers, and gonorrhea. The research aims to evaluate the phytochemical composition and assess the inhibitory  capacity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase leaf extracts of F.sur. The leaves of F. sur were extracted successively by maceration with acetone, ethanol, methanol, and aqueous. Established methods were adopted to identify the phytochemical and polyphenolic compositions of the herbal extracts; the extracts' α-amylase, as well as α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity utilizing the Lineweaver-Burke plot to identify mechanisms of inhibition by the enzyme, were further explored. The findings of the phytochemical analysis showed that the liquid extracts of ethanol and methanol contained the greatest quantities of saponin, whereas the extracts of acetone and water had none. Extract from ethanol had a great amount of phenolics (131.86 mg gallic g^-1) when compared with methanol (126.12 mg gallic g^-1), acetone (92.35 mg gallic g^-1), and aqueous extract (48.68 mg gallic g^-1). The hypoglycemic results showed that the ethanol extract had much higher inhibition of α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 0.41 mg mL^-1) and mild inhibition of α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 1.39 mg mL^-1). According to a Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis, ethanol extract inhibited the two enzymes in noncompetitive and competitive ways. F. sur leaf extract's high saponins and phenolic content substantiate its hypoglycemic potential.