IN-VITRO BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF FRACTIONS OF ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION OF THE WATER EXTRACT OF ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS SENESCENT LEAVES

Artocarpus heterophyllus belongs to the family Moraceae. In Sri Lankan traditional medicine the water extract of A. heterophyllus senescent leaves is used to control diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic activity of ethyl acetate fraction of water extract of senescent leaves has been reported. Ethyl acetate fraction (EA/W) was fractionated using sephadex LH-20 column chromatography using the solvent systems: dichloromethane/hexane (4:1), dichloromethane/acetone (3:2), dichloromethane/acetone (1:4), dichloromethane/ methanol (1:1) and methanol to produce five fractions. EA/W and fractions 1-5 were subjected to in-vitro antioxidant, α- glucosidase inhibitory, antiglycation and anti-inflammatory activity studies. Fraction 4 exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 21.69 ± 0.31 μg/mL) and α- glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 0.4± 0.01 μg/ mL) which were greater than the standards gallic acid and acarbose respectively and EA/W. Fractions 3 and 4 showed higher antiglycation activity (IC₅₀ = 0.44 ± 0.04 mg/mL and 0.30 ± 0.01 μg/mL respectively) and higher anti-inflammatory activity (IC₅₀ = 24.4 ± 3.8 and 16.9 ± 0.1 μg/mL respectively) than any other fraction or EA/W. However, these were less than the standards rutin and ibuprofen respectively. The results will be of potential use for the development of a safe and effective anti-diabetic drug from senescent leaves of A. heterophyllus.