Anti-denaturation, Antioxidant, and Antidiabetic Investigations of Terminalia macroptera (Guill. & Perr.) Stem Bark Alkaloids: in vitro and in vivo Studies

11 June, 2026

Background and Objective: Terminalia macroptera (Guill. & Perr.) is a West African plant used against several diseases, including diabetes mellitus. However, its glucose regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study examined the effects of Terminalia macroptera stem bark alkaloids (TMSBA) on protein denaturation, free radicals, and carbohydrate hydrolases, with a further investigation of the alkaloids’ action on the biochemical indices of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: The in vitro properties of TMSBA were investigated by spectrophotometry, while in vivo studies compared the 10-week treatment outcomes of TMSBA (100 mg/kg/day) and glibenclamide (GLIB) (10 mg/kg/day) in the rats. Analyses entailed the evaluation of blood glucose, serum lipids, insulin, C-peptide, testosterone, pancreatic amylase activity, liver glycogen, and antioxidants. In addition, the β-cell mRNA of pancreatic-duodenal homeobox 1, insulin, and inflammatory factor genes were extracted and compared. Data, expressed in mean ± SEM (n = 5), were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and followed by the Tukey’s post hoc test. Results: The findings showed that TMSBA mimicked the concentration-dependent manner of reference compounds in albumin-binding, antioxidant, and hydrolase inhibition but with less strength. More so, it scavenged hydroxyl radicals at maximum and minimum concentrations non-significantly different from thiourea and neutralized peroxyl radicals at a rate similar to vitamin C (TMSBA IC₅₀ = 510.583±65.684 vs ascorbic acid IC₅₀ = 565.661±68.011 μg/mL). Conclusion: TMSBA demonstrated a non-insulin-mediated normalization of the glucose and lipid benchmarks better than GLIB (p < 0.05). Also, it stimulated more glycogen, restored antioxidants, and downregulated the gene expressions of pancreatic-duodenal homeobox 1, insulin, and stress factors compared to GLIB.

Pharmacognostical Analysis and Quantification of L-Dopa Content in Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC

11 June, 2026

Background and Objective: Mucuna pruriens commonly known as velvet bean is well known for its L-Dopa content. The pods of the M. pruriens are prone to insect attacks, which reduces the yield of seeds. This study aimed to optimize the best time for pod harvesting to ensure higher L-Dopa content and improved seed quality. Materials and Methods: Seeds of M. pruriens were collected at different stages of pod growth and maturation viz. S₁: At initial stage of pod formation, S₂: At 15 days after pod formation, S₃: At 30 days after pod formation, S₄: At 45 days after pod formation and S₅: Mature pod at 60 days. These seeds were analyzed for total ash, acid insoluble ash, alcohol soluble extractive, water soluble extractive, fixed oil content and L-Dopa content. Results: The study revealed that total ash content was lowest in S₁followed by S₃. The acid insoluble ash content was found a minimum of 0.13% in S₃ and a maximum of 0.44% in S₅. The alcohol soluble extractive and water-soluble extractive were found highest in S₃ with the value of 6.47 and 24.99%, respectively. Fixed oil analysis also shows the presence of the highest percent of fixed oil in S₄ (3.84%) followed by S₃ with 3.79%. The HPLC analysis of L-Dopa in seed samples of M. pruriens revealed the presence of the highest content of 6.08% in S₅ followed by 6.01% in S₃. Conclusion: Overall results revealed that S₃ is the best time for pod harvesting in M. pruriens.

International Journal of Botany - Current Issue

Anti-denaturation, Antioxidant, and Antidiabetic Investigations of Terminalia macroptera (Guill. & Perr.) Stem Bark Alkaloids: in vitro and in vivo Studies

Pharmacognostical Analysis and Quantification of L-Dopa Content in Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC