David Osaro EKAMEZE

Foeniculum vulgare, a well-known herbaceous plant widely utilized for tis culinary and medicinal properties in rural communities, this suggests the presence of bioactive compounds with therapeutic effects or action. This study aims at elucidating the medicinal properties of the plant by investigating the mineral and vitamin composition and alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory properties of ethanol extracts derived from Foeniculum vulgare. Ethanol extracts of Foeniculum vulgare were prepared using standard extraction techniques, solvent extraction with absolute ethanol as the solvent used, the vitamins and minerals content of the extract were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The in vitro alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase activity of the plant extracts were assessed by subjecting the extracts to enzyme inhibition assays using acarbose as the control for each assay. The results obtained suggest that ethanol extract of Foeniculum vulgare were rich in vitamins, predominantly vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and vitamin B3 (Niacin), also micronutrients like Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) were found to be present at varying concentrations. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited significant inhibition of alpha-glucosidase enzymes in vitro, indicating their potential as natural inhibitors of the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme. However, the results indicated little in vitro alpha amylase inhibitory activity. These findings uncover the pharmacological potential of Foeniculum vulgare extracts as functional food ingredients or dietary supplement for managing conditions associated with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism, such as diabetes, by controlling postprandial glucose levels through the inhibition of carbohydrate digestion.