Identification of Major Compounds and α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Rhizome of Musa balbisiana Colla: An in-vitro and in-silico Study.

Background: α-Amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors are widely used to suppress postprandial glycemia in the treatment of type-2 diabetes.

Objectives: To evaluate the metallic content, phytocompounds, and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Musa balbisiana rhizome using in-vitro and in-silico methods.

Materials And Methods: Heavy metal content was detected by AAS following standard protocol. Major phytochemicals of the plant were analyzed by GC-MS technique. Enzyme inhibition study was carried out by UV/VIS spectrophotometric methods. The drug-likeness and bio-availability properties of major compounds were carried out using computer-aided tools - SwissADME and ADMElab. Docking and visualization were performed in AutoDock vina and Discovery studio tools.

Results: The study found that the fruits of M. balbisiana contain a negligible amount of toxic elements. GC-MS analysis showed five major compounds from the rhizome of M. balbisiana. Invitro enzyme assays revealed strong α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties of the plant. All five compounds were predicted to have a drug-likeness property with high cell membrane permeability and bio-availability. The compounds were also predicted to have low to moderate toxicity properties. The Docking study showed strong binding affinities of plant compounds with α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Out of five compounds, C5 showed the best binding affinity with active pockets of α-amylase and α-glucosidase.

Conclusion: The in-vitro and in-silico study suggests the antihyperglycemic property of the rhizome of Musa balbisiana and a possible candidate for the therapeutic antidiabetic agent(s).