Investigating Musa paradisiaca (Var. Nanjangud rasa bale) pseudostem in preventing hyperglycemia along with improvement of diabetic complications

Banana pseudostem is attributed as a potent food source that serves as a health promoter as well as an ethnopharmacological agent in Indian medicine system. The aim of this investigation was to examine the anti- diabetic activity of banana pseudostem ethanol extract (EE), Stigmasterol (C1), and β -Sitosterol (C2) obtained from EE. The in vitro studies against α -glucosidase enzyme was evaluated for C1 and C2 (IC 50 values of 7.31 ± 0.12 and 7.80 ± 0.93 µ g/ml, respectively) which revealed a mixed type inhibition and entailed two inhibition constants viz., K 1 and K 2 . In vitro glycation experiments further revealed that EE, and its components inhibited each stage of protein glycation as well as the generation of intermediate chemicals. EE, C1 and C2 inhibited aldose reductase potently, with IC 50 values of 2.67 ± 0.27, 1.80 ± 0.36, and 1.93 ± 0.37 g/ml, respectively. In vivo studies on the diabetic complications known as hypercholesterolemia and hypertriacylglycerolemia in diabetic rat models also revealed significant improvements in serum/liver levels as well as a notable increase in the activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels. In conclusion, EE has the potential to be an important therapeutic component in the treatment of diabetes and its complications.