Mode of Inhibition of α-Glucosidase and α-Amylase by Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts of Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis)

Polyphenolic compounds are known to be useful in formulating of nutritional or medicinal supplements for the treatment of several diseases. An important activity of polyphenols is the inhibition of digestive enzymes, especially carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Inhibitors of these enzymes are able to retard carbohydrate digestion, thus causing a reduction in glucose absorption rate. Effective α-amylase and α-glucosidase polyphenoltype inhibitors from natural resources have been reported to be useful in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia [1]. To our knowledge, the inhibition mode of maqui leaf crude extract against αglucosidase and α-amylase has not been reported yet.