RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: 'Phytonutrients' have been reported to exert an incredible impact on the healthcare system and offer medical benefits including the prevention or treatment of lifestyle-associated diseases. We chose one of the most common and important plant families, Musaceae, for our present study and explored its antidiabetic potential. RESULTS: Seeds of the edible fruits of Musa balbisiana Colla. were investigated for their antidiabetic potential. After estimating the proximate composition, the seeds were extracted with various solvents and evaluated for antidiabetic potential in terms of the inhibition of digestive enzymes, antiglycation activity and in vitro glucose uptake. The acetone extract demonstrated the highest inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes with IC50 values of 36.67 ± 0.367 and 100.61 ± 0.707 µg mL-1 , respectively. The extract also exhibited significant glycation inhibition with an IC50 value of 86.48 ± 0.751 µg mL-1 . Furthermore, a major phytochemical, apiforol, was isolated from the acetone extract for the first time, which demonstrated promising α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 48.25 ± 0.255 µmol L-1 ), antiglycation property (IC50 = 114.23 ± 0.567 µmol L-1 ) and enhanced glucose uptake in L6 myoblasts. In molecular docking studies, apiforol efficiently bonded to the active sites of α-glucosidase enzyme 3A4A. CONCLUSIONS: As dietary intervention is one of the effective strategies for addressing diabetes, special attention is always given to natural food bio-actives or agro-products for better human health. The results of our study suggest that Musa balbisiana has significant potential as an ingredient in health food formulations by reducing postprandial hyperglycaemia. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.