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Detecting novel phytochemicals inhibitors for alpha-glucosidase, pancreatic lipase and alpha-amylase by biochemical and bioinformatics tools

Project Summary: 

Obesity and diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions all over the world in the twenty-first century. Herbal medicine has been currently suggested as an alternative source of potentially useful anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hyperglycemic. The objective of this study is to assess the in vitro inhibitory activity of selected local anti-diabetic and anti-obesity medicinal plants on carbohydrate and lipid digestive enzymes namely, α-Glucosidase, pancreatic α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase. The inhibitory activities of ethanol-water and hexane herbs extracts will be evaluated using the enzymatic colorimetric assays. The efficient inhibitory extracts will be subjected to GC/MS to detect the identity of the phytochemicals. Bioinformatics tools (AutoDock, SwissDock) will then be used to predict the protein (alpha-glucosidase, alpha -amylase and pancreatic lipase) binding interface. The bioinformatics docking tools will be applied to predict the phytochemical(s) that are more likely to bind and inhibit the above enzymes. The bioinformatics results will be verified biochemically. The available active ingredients will be ordered from commercial companies if available, if not, the extract will be subjected for further fractionation to separate the active ingredient using preparative HPLC. The active fraction will be subjected to further round of bioinformatics and biochemical tests until a single/cohort active compound(s) is purified.