Unlocking nature's antidiabetic potential: computer-aided discovery of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors in Andrographis paniculata leaves.

The study aims to provide in-vitro evidence for the potential inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes by five selected medicinal plants. The present study investigated the in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Andrographis paniculata following standard protocols. GC-MS analysis was carried out to identify the bioactive compounds. Furthermore, molecular docking and MD simulation was carried out to understand the binding affinity of the A. paniculata compounds with the pancreatic enzymes. The crude extracts of plants showed a considerable α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ values of α-amylase and α-amylase inhibition was found to be 1.72 ± 0.03 mg/ml and 0.30 ± 0.01 mg/ml, respectively. Refence drug, acarbose also showed almost similar inhibitory activity. Eight probable phytocompounds were identified using GC-MS analysis. Compund-7 showed the strongest binding affinity with both the α-amylase and glucosidase enzymes. MD simulation study observed slightly more stable and compact structure of α-amylase-phytocompound structure compared to acarbose-protein complex. The study suggests that A. paniculata extracts have potential for managing hyperglycemia and type-2 diabetes mellitus. However, further research is required to confirm their efficacy and safety.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-025-00396-4.