Exploring the antidiabetic potential of Ceiba pentandra bark powder: Chemical characterization and bioactivity of a new stigmastane

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The management of diabetic patients (DP) with conventional drugs is increasingly being replaced by plant extracts. Among these plants, the bark of Ceiba pentandra (CP) is known for its antidiabetic activities due to its bioactive compounds (BC), the chemical characteristics of which are not fully identified. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical and structural characteristics of the compounds isolated from CP bark powder extracts, as well as those exhibiting the best antidiabetic activity. The bark of CP was harvested and processed into powders. The structures of the chemical compounds isolated from the methanolic extracts of CP bark powder were determined, and the inhibitory activities against digestive enzymes (alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase) and antioxidant activities of the extracts and chemical compounds were evaluated. It was found that of the eight identified BC, seven are known and one, belonging to the stigmastane class (phytosterol), with a chemical structure corresponding to stigmastane-1,3,5-triol, is a new compound. This new compound, unlike the extracts of CP, exhibited a higher antihyperglycemic potential than others, including acarbose, and a higher antioxidant activity linked to iron-reducing power (FRAP) than vitamin C. The knowledge of the antidiabetic potential of stigmastane-1,3,5-triol is important in the use of CP bark powders for the management of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and may contribute to the development of an improved traditional medicine.