The methanolic extract of Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd ex. Delile (black thorn tree) seed materials, an underutilized food legume collected from India was found to contain total free phenolic content of 14.57 ± 1.69 g catechin equivalent/100 g extract DM. Encouraging levels of ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP, 1840 mmol Fe[II]/mg extract), inhibition of ß-carotene degradation (53.26%) and ...

Persea americana fruit and leaves had been known in folk medicine for their anti-diabetic prowess. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the inhibitory effect of phenolic extract from avocado pear (Persea americana) leaves and fruits on some key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase); and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) induced lipid peroxidation in rats' pancreas in v...

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit had received growing attention for its myriad nutritional and medicinal benefits, including those from polyphenol-rich profile powerful antioxidant activity. The current study evaluated the bioaccessibility of phenolic constituents capacity baobab pulp (BFP) byproduct, shell (BFS), upon in vitro digestion. In general, digestion reduced contents capacity; howeve...

In the present study, seven propolis samples collected from different areas of Morocco were evaluated for various potential attributes. Physicochemical parameters (moisture, pH, soluble substance, insoluble ash content, conductivity, organic matter, resin, balsams, total carbohydrates, proteins and mineral content), structural characterization by FTIR, phenolic flavonoid composition some biolog...

There are major issues regarding the proposed pathway for starch degradation in germinating cereal grain. Given the commercial importance but genetic intractability of the problem, we have embarked on a program of chemical genetics studies to identify and dissect the pathway and regulation of starch degradation in germinating barley grains. As a precursor to in vivo studies, here we report syst...

α-amylase inhibitors play a critical role in the control of diabetes and many of medicinal plants have been found to act as α-amylase inhibitors. swertia genus, belonging to the family gentianaceae, comprises different species most of which have been used in traditional medicine of several cultures as antidiabetic, anti-pyretic, analgesic, liver and gastrointestinal tonic. swertia longifolia bo...

Acarbose is a well-known inhibitor of α-glucosidases, α-amylases, cyclomaltodextrin glucanyltransferase (CGTase), and dextransucrase. Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase (BSMA) was found to hydrolyze acarbose to give acarviosine-glucose plus glucose and to carry out a transglycosylation reaction to give isoacarbose. Acarviosine-glucose was a potent inhibitor of baker’s yeast α-glucos...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS α-Amylase in grass caryopses (seeds) is usually expressed upon commencement of germination and is rarely seen in dry, mature seeds. A heat-stable α-amylase activity was unexpectedly selected for expression in dry annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seeds during targeted selection for low primary dormancy. The aim of this study was to characterize this constitutive activity bioc...

Alpha-amylases are ubiquitously distributed throughout microbials, plants and animals. It is widely accepted that omnivorous crustaceans have higher α-amylase activity and number of isoforms than carnivorous, but contradictory results have been obtained in some species, and carnivorous crustaceans have been less studied. In addition, the physiological meaning of α-amylase polymorphism in crusta...