Linking the Phytochemicals and the α-Glucosidase and α-Amylase Enzyme Inhibitory Effects of Nigella sativa Seed Extracts

Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae), commonly referred to as black seeds or black cumin, is used in popular medicine (herbal) all over the world for the treatment and prevention of several diseases, including diabetes. This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effect of N. sativa extracts and fractions against the activities of intestinal α-glucosidase and pancreatic α-amylase in vitro, and to explain the inhibitory effect of these fractions against these enzymes by identifying their active compounds responsible for this effect and determine their modes of inhibition. To do so, N. sativa hexane and acetone extracts were prepared and analyzed by GC–MS and HPLC–DAD, respectively. The hexane extract was further fractioned into eight different fractions, while the acetone extract generated eleven fractions. The extracts as well as the resulting fractions were characterized and evaluated for their potential in vitro antidiabetic activity using intestinal α-glucosidase and pancreatic α-amylase inhibitory assays in vitro. Hexane extract and fractions were less active than acetone extract and fractions. In the case of intestinal α-glucosidase activity, the acetone fraction SA3 had a high inhibitory effect on intestinal α-glucosidase activity with 72.26 ± 1.42%, comparable to the effect of acarbose (70.90 ± 1.12%). For the pancreatic α-amylase enzymatic inhibitory assay, the acetone fractions showed an inhibitory capacity close to that for acarbose. In particular, the SA2 fraction had an inhibitory effect of 67.70 ± 0.58% and was rich in apigenin and gallic acid. From these fractions, apigenin, (−)-catechin, and gallic acid were further characterized for their inhibitory actions. IC(50) and inhibition mode were determined by analyzing enzyme kinetic parameters and by molecular modeling. Interestingly, (−)-catechin showed a possible synergistic effect with acarbose toward α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition, whereas apigenin showed an additive effect with acarbose toward α-amylase enzymatic inhibition. Furthermore, we studied the toxicity of N. sativa hexane and acetone extracts as well as that of acetone fractions. The result of acute toxicity evaluation demonstrated that N. sativa extracts were nontoxic up to a concentration of 10 g/kg, except for fraction SA3. Taken together, these results indicate that N. sativa extracts and/or derived compounds could constitute promising nutraceuticals for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.