Evaluation of anti-diabetic effects of ethanolic extract of Bougainvillea glabra

Abstract

Bougainvillea glabra is a widely decorative plant. Previous research has shown that this plant contains bioactive compounds, including phenolics and flavonoids. In this study, bracts and flowers of B. glabra were extracted using ethanol. Folin-Ciocalteu's and aluminum chloride colorimetric assays were used to assess the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively. Anti-diabetic activities were evaluated by α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. Glucose uptake of HepG2 hepatocytes and L6 myoblasts was studied. The level of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were assessed. The results revealed that the ethanolic extract of B. glabra exhibited higher inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity than voglibose, a positive control. It also showed the higher of glucose uptake in HepG2 and L6. Moreover, ethanolic extract of B. glabra showed a better reduction of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 when compared to positive control. The results of the GC-MS analysis showed that the ethanolic extract of B. glabra had a high content of secondary metabolite with anti-diabetic potential. This study showed that the ethanolic extract of B. glabra had anti-diabetic effects, and it could develop for anti-diabetic treatment.