ABSTRACT

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This research project is aimed at evaluating the hypoglycemic potentials, antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory properties and GC; MS characterization of Acalypha wilkesiana. The Acalypha -wilkesiana leaf were chopped into smaller sizes and we're air dried. The dried leafwere grinded into fine powder using a grinding machine. It was put in an air tight container, stored in a dessicator for further analysis. The extraction of the essential oil from the leaf was carried out with a clevenger type apparatus according to the Hungarian pharmacopeia VII (1996). Spectroscopic detection by GCMS involved an electron ionization system which utilized high energy electrons (70 eV). Pure helium gas (99.995%) was used as the carrier gas with flow rate of 1 mL/min. Bioactive compounds extracted from different extracts were identified based on GC retention time on HP5MS column and matching of the spectra with computer software data of standards (Replib and Mainlab data of GC-MS systems). The percentage inhibition of the extract against Alpha Amylase, Alpha-Glucosidase and Glucose absorption Capacity of the extract was determined. The result of the GC-MS analysis of the essential oil of the leaves of Acalypha wilkesiana showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) difference in the retention time of the bioactive compounds ranging from 6.30$ to 31.380 minutes and the peak area ranging from 0.98 to 7.66%. The result ofthe % alpha-glucosidase inhibition by Alcalypha wikisenia showed that there was a significant (p<0.05) difference ranging from 39.70 to 60.33%. The result of the % Alpha Amylase inhibition by Alcalypha wikisenia revealed that there was a significant (p<0.05) difference ranging from 44.96 to 69.15 %. The result of the glucose absorption capacity of revealed that there was a significant.(p<0.05) difference within the concentrations ranging from 0.33 to 2.15%. Finally, the essential oil ofthe leaves ofAlcalypha wikisenia has shown to have great hypo-glycemic potential.