NKEIRUKA ELUEHIKE

Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Elu), a plant widely employed in traditional medicine to manage infections, inflammation, and mental disorders, remains underexplored in terms of its non-polar chemical constituents. In this study, Leaves of Lonchocarpus cyanescens were collected, processed and extracted with ethanol, after which their non-polar constituents were isolated using n-hexane. Analysis of this fraction by GC– MS enabled the identification of several lipophilic metabolites using the NIST14 spectral library, with match qualities ≥90%. Nineteen compounds were detected, predominantly aromatic hydrocarbons, monoterpenes, fatty acid methyl esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and glycerides. The most abundant compounds were 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (33.50%), 1-ethyl-2- methylbenzene (6.63%), o-cymene (6.42%), and 1,3-dioctanoin (6.23%). These constituents are known for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and membrane-active properties, suggesting that the hexane fraction may contribute to the plant’s reported ethnomedicinal effects. The prevalence of volatile and lipophilic compounds also underscores the effectiveness of hexane in selectively extracting nonpolar metabolites. This study provides a detailed GC–MS profile of the n-hexane fraction of L. cyanescens, thereby expanding existing phytochemical knowledge and laying a foundation for
future isolation, characterization, and pharmacological investigations

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycaemia due to impaired insulin secretion or action. Inhibiting carbohydrate- digesting enzymes such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase is a recognized strategy to reduce postprandial glucose spikes. Lonchocarpus cyanescens is a medicinal plant widely used in West African ethnotherapy with reported antidiabetic activity. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the water fraction of L. cyanescens on α-amylase and α- glucosidase and compare its efficacy with acarbose. The water fraction of L. cyanescens leaves was prepared and tested at concentrations of 0.1–0.5 mg/mL using standard in vitro enzyme inhibition assays, and the results were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by LSD post hoc tests to compare treatment groups and assess significance relative to acarbose. The water fraction demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of both enzymes, with α-amylase inhibition ranging from 76.79% to 89.26% and α- glucosidase inhibition from 36.60% to 61.22% (p < 0.01).