EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTIES OF phyllanthus niruri USING ETHANOL (POLAR) AND DIETHYL ETHER (NON-POLAR) EXTRACTS

Diabetes mellitus remains a major global health burden, necessitating the search for safer and more effective alternatives to conventional therapies. Medicinal plants such as Phyllanthus niruri have gained attention due to their bioactive compounds with potential antidiabetic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic activities of the polar and non-polar extracts of P. niruri using different biochemical assays. Relevant background information and supporting literatures were obtained from peer-reviewed journals through scientific search engines, including PubMed, Resaearchgate, MDPI, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Fresh plant samples were collected, dried, powdered, and extracted using ethanol (polar) and diethyl ether (non-polar). The crude extracts were concentrated and assayed for antidiabetic activity. Alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition were determined using Dinitrosalicylic Acid (DNS) and p-Nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) substrate methods, respectively. Lipsase activitity was assessed with p-nitrophenyl butyrate, while glucose adsorption was evaluated by incubating extracts with glucose solutions and measuring residual concentrations. Acarbose served as the reference drug. The extracts demonstrated significant and concentration-dependent inhibition of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes, with maximum inhibitory values of 58.3% and 62.9% for alpha-amylase, and 73.9% and 75.6% for alpha-glucosidase, respectively. These indicate that P. niruri exhibits substantial enzyme inhibitory activity comparable to standard antidiabetic agents, confirming its potential to slow carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption. Glucose adsorption assays showed moderate binding activity, while lipase activity was notably stimulated, especially in the non-polar extract, which recorded 489.7 µmol/g at 160 mg/mLsuggesting additional effects on lipid metabolism. Although the extracts exhibited lower potency compared to acarbose, their consistent inhibitory actions suggest the presence of active phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic compounds. The findings indicate that P. niruri possesses multi-targeted antidiabetic effects through enzyme inhibition, glucose binding, and lipid metabolism modulation. These results provide pharmacological evidence for its traditional use in diabetes management and recommend further studies, including in vivo analyses, to establish its therapeutic potential as a complementary agent for glycaemic control.