ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus and obesity represent two widespread metabolic disorders that impose a substantial health burden on a global scale. Traditional medicinal plants and their bioactive components have been extensively investigated as promising reservoirs of new therapeutic agents in addressing these health concerns. Salvia hispanica, commonly known as "Chia", is originally from Southern Mexico and Northern Guatemala and is widely recognized for its traditional medicinal uses. The aim of this research was to show using available data that the aqueous extract of Salvia hispanica has an anti-diabetic effect. This study investigates the in- vitro anti-diabetic activities of aqueous extract of Salvia hispanica, by assayng for α-amylase, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and it’s effect on protein glycation. The α-amylase assay was carried out using an already established method (Sigma-Aldrich, 2014) with a few modification and with different concentrations viz: 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, and 640 μg/ml. The α- glucosidase assay was carried out using the Elya et al method which was also slightly modified and in different concentrations viz: 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1000 Mg/ml. The effect of the plant extract on protein glycation was also investigated via the method of Siahbalaei et al., 2020. The result showed that Salvia hispanica seed inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity with the greatest inhibition seen at 640 ug/ml(α-amylase) and 1000 μg/ml(α-glucosidase), and an IC50 of 608.38 μg/ml and 9.87 μg/m respectively. The result also showed that the extract inhibited protein glycation with a percentage inhibition of 96.13% and an IC50 of 0.3422. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of Salvia hispanica exhibits in vitro anti- diabetic activities, making it a valuable natural resource for the development of potential treatments for diabetes. Further research is warranted to explore its therapeutic potential fully and advance its application in managing these metabolic disorders.
