Antidiabetic evaluation of Artocarpus odoratissimus (Moraceae) fruit

Background: Diabetes mellitus causes 4.2 million of deaths worldwide and 79% adults with diabetes are living in low- and middle-income countries. This research providing an alternative therapy through the prevention of postprandial hyperglycemia may help diabetic patients and provide a new utilization model of fruit peel.  Artocarpus odoratissimus , commonly known as marang, is an edible fruit found in the southern part of the Philippines. Most of the weight of the fruit is discarded and treated as waste. Objectives: This study aimed to utilize the by-products of marang fruit as a promising pharmaceutical agent by determining the phytochemicals present and in vitro  antidiabetic activity of the different parts of the fruit. Methods: Phytochemical screening of phenolics and flavonoids was done through thin layer chromatography. Ten concentrations (2-1000 µg/mL) of the extracts from the peel, pulp, and seeds were evaluated for the in vitro  antidiabetic assay using alpha-glucosidase enzyme. Mean percent inhibition was calculated, and data was analyzed using ANOVA. The IC 50  estimates were calculated using the program GraphPad Prism version 8. Results: Extracts from the fruit parts of A. odoratissimus contained phenols and flavonoids and were active inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The fruit peel extract of marang was the most potent (IC 50  = 48.19 µg/mL) compared to the seed extract, pulp extract, and the standard drug acarbose (p value = 0.035). Conclusion: The fruit waste, the peel and seeds, has an intense activity against alpha-glucosidase enzyme because of their phenols and flavonoid contents. Keywords: alpha-glucosidase, Artocarpus, diabetes, phenolics, fruit peel