Bioactivity-Guided Separation of an α-Amylase Inhibitor Flavonoid from Salvia virgata

It is now believed that the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes (CHEs) in the digestive tract can significantly prolong the overall carbohydrate digestion time and decrease the postprandial hyperglycemia after a meal. Therefore, inhibitors of CHEs can be useful therapeutic approaches in the management of diabetes mellitus, especially in the type 2, and complications associated with the disease. In our previous study, the ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Salvia virgata showed an inhibitory effect on pancreatic α-amylase in-vitro. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract using the α-amylase inhibitory assay led to the isolation and identification of an active flavone compound, chrysoeriol. The compound concentration dependently inhibited the α-amylase activity with an IC(50) value of 1.27 (1.21-1.33) mM.