ABSTRACT

 Diabetes mellitus a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance has been a major problem to the world. The management of blood glucose level is the zenith in the treatment of this disease and this may be achieved through the use of oral hypoglycemic drugs such as sulfonylureas, metformin, insulin secretagogues, and alpha amylase and pancreatic lipase inhibitors. Due to the limitations of hypoglycemic drugs, some medicinal plants that contains antioxidants properties such as phytochemicals, which include flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, saponins, etc., have been found useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The aim and objective of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of methanol extract ofPersea americana on the activities of alpha amylase and pancreatic lipase. This was performed using porcine pancreatic alpha amylase from Aspergillus oryzae and pancreatic lipase. Highest concentration of the Persea americana extract possesses the highest percentage inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase P.A Img/ml (59.29±0.88%), P.A 0.5mg/ml (52.00±0.83%) and alpha amylase (P.A Img/ml (54.69±1.39%), P.A 0.5mg/ml (39.91±0.58%) comparable to the standard drugs, acarbose (80.04±0.13%) and orlistat (60.01±0.22%). Kinetic analysis revealed that the extract of Persea americana inhibited the alpha amylase uncompetitiyely but displayed mixed competitive mode of inhibition towards pancreatic lipase. It can be deduced that Persea americana exhibited a justifiable inhibitory activity on the two enzymes studied. While the lack of clinical evidence on the benefits of antioxidants vitamins in diabetes management should not deter us from more basic and clinical research on this issue, practice guidelines that are based on the result of numerous clinical trials should be our guide to evidence-based medicine in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in diabetes.