Abstract:
The incidences of metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus are increasing. One of
the therapeutic approaches for this disorder is by reducing the a-glucosidase activity.
In the study, the potential of Aglaonema simplex as therapeutic agent especially as
glucosidase inhibitor due it polyhydroxylalkaloids was investigated. The in vitro
plantlets of A.simplex were cultured in Murashige and Skoog medium for three and
four months. The ethanolic extracts obtained were assayed for a-glucosidase
inhibition activity. Results showed that stem and root extracts exhibited the high
inhibition activity with IC50 4.5 and 3.9 mg/ml respectively at three months culture,
4.1 and 3.2 mg/ml respectively at four months culture. Roots at four months age of
culture showed the most effective inhibitor with lowest IC5o value, 3 .2 mg/ml. The
Lineweaver-Burk plots revealed that the inhibition activity of leave extracts was
uncompetitive type, stems and roots were non-competitive. Km values for stem and
root extracts at three and four months were remaining constant, 5.0 mM while Vmax
for these parts were changes. Vmax of stem and root extracts were 0.5 and 0.4
mM.min-1 respectively at three months, 0.4 and 0.3 mM.min-1 respectively at four
months culture.
