Echium trygorrhizum Pomel root extract: A Novel Approach to Hyperglycemia management by inhibiting starch hydrolysis enzymes in vitro and in vivo

Echium trygorrhizum Pomel, is a wild species that grows in North Africa and belongs to the Boraginaceae family. In Algerian folk medicine, this species is used in the treatment of various conditions such as diabetes, jaundice, and angina. the present study we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and the mechanism of action on type 2 diabetes management in rats and the antioxidant capacity and phytochemical analysis of the decocted aqueous extract of the roots obtained using a traditional method. To the best of our knowledge, no previous pharmacological studies have been performed in vivo on this plant. The Phytochemical composition of E. trygorrhizum Pomel roots aqueous extract (AQE) was analyzed using the HPLC-DAD technique. Four methods were used to investigate the antioxidant activity of our extract namely, DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS radical cation scavenging activity, β- carotene / linoleic Acid Bleaching Activity, and CUPRAC. The inhibitory ability against α-glucosidase and α-amylase of AQE was assessed in vitro . Additionally, acute hypoglycemic tests, oral sucrose and glucose tolerance tests were performed on both healthy and alloxane-hyperglycemic rats. Investigation of the antioxidant activity demonstrated a significant oxidative reducing ability of our extract. Through HPLC-DAD analysis, myricetin and other compounds, namely fisetin, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoik acid, gallic acid, taxifolin, and naringenin, were identified, indicating high levels of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, and tannins. In-vitro testing of AQE revealed considerable inhibitory ability against both α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes. Our results also indicated that AQE extract showed an antihyperglycemic effect in the oral sucrose tolerance test between 30 to 90 minutes after sucrose loading, whereas no decrease in blood glucose levels was detected for glucose tolerance and acute hypoglycemic tests. Our findings revealed that the AQE can effectively lower postprandial glycemia by inhibiting starch hydrolysis enzymes, namely, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, hence, the roots of our plant may serve as potential source for novel oral medication to treat hypoglycemia.