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European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association
ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC POTENTIAL OF HEMP EXTRACTS (Cannabis sativa, Cannabaceae) Author: Marija Perić Scientific Coordinator: Nebojša Kladar, PhD, Assistant Professor; Nebojša Salaj, MPharm, Junior Researcher Institution: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pharmacy
INTRODUCTION: Hemp (Cannabis sativa, Cannabaceae) is a plant species which is primarily known for its high content of cannabinoids, while phenolics and flavonoids present in hemp have been less studied. Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and shows significant increase of incidence in the world. Phenolics and flavonoids possess antioxidant effect, but there is also possibility to exert antihyperglycemic effect by reduction of dietary carbohydrate digestion, and consequent absorption, through the inhibition of key enzymes involved in their intestinal metabolism – α-amylase and α-glucosidase. AIM: The aim of the conducted study was to examine antihyperglycemic potential (inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase) of hemp aqueous and ethanolic extracts in vitro and perform their preliminary and detailed chemical characterization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Aqueous and ethanol extracts were preliminary and detailed chemically characterized by spectrophotometric and high performance liquid chromatography methods. The potential of the extracts to inhibit the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase was also estimated. RESULTS: Preliminary chemical characterization showed high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the obtained extracts. The results of detailed chemical characterization showed the absence of gallic acid, quercetin and rutin and the presence of caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and trans-cinnamic acid. The aqueous extracts showed higher potential to inhibit α-amylase compared to the ethanol extracts, which were more potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase.
CONCLUSION: Both types of hemp extracts contain high amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, but there are some content variations of these extracts. The aqueous extracts are more potent α-amylase inhibitors, while the ethanolic extracts show higher potential to inhibit α-glucosidase in the used in vitro test-systems, when compared to the ability of acarbose to inhibit aforementioned enzyme. However, future in vivo research is required for further understanding of the antihyperglycemic activity mechanisms of secondary metabolites found in examined hemp extracts.
