Benzophenone C- and O-glucosides from Cyclopia genistoides (Honeybush) inhibit mammalian α-glucosidase.

An enriched fraction of an aqueous extract prepared from the aerial parts of Cyclopia genistoides Vent. yielded a new benzophenone di-C,O-glucoside, 3-C-β-d-glucopyranosyl-4-O-β-d-glucopyranosyliriflophenone (1), together with small quantities of a known benzophenone C-glucoside, 3-C-β-d-glucopyranosylmaclurin (2). The isolated compounds showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity against an enzyme mixture extracted from rat intestinal acetone powder. Compound 2 exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher inhibitory activity (54%) than 1 (43%) at 200 μM. In vitro tests in several cell models showed that 1 and its 3-C-monoglucosylated derivative (3-C-β-d-glucopyranosyliriflophenone) were marginally effective (p ≥ 0.05) in increasing glucose uptake.