Investigating the anti-diabetic properties of Eriobotrya japonica (loquat)

In this study, researchers from India analyzed the physical and chemical properties of Eriobotrya japonica (loquat) leaves and evaluated their antioxidant and antidiabetic potential. They reported their findings in an article published in the International Journal of Green Pharmacy.

• E. japonica is a plant used in traditional medicine in East Asian countries, such as Japan, China, Korea, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
• However, not many studies have been done to set a standard for the quality of E. japonica products, which may be affected by various factors, such as location, climate, cultivation and collection.
• For their study, the researchers analyzed E. japonica leaves to determine the plant’s organoleptic, physicochemical, qualitative and chromatographic properties.
• They next evaluated the antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities of E. japonica methanolic extract using DPPH assay and a-amylase inhibition assay, respectively.
• The researchers found that E. japonica leaves contain a variety of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phytosterols and glycosides.
• Analysis of E. japonica methanolic extract’s antioxidant capacity revealed that it has a slightly lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 = 0.453 mg/mL) than ascorbic acid (IC50 = 0.528 mg/mL), a very potent antioxidant.
• The researchers also observed a similar trend in terms of the extract’s ability to inhibit a-amylase activity: They found that its IC50 is 0.015 mg/mL, while the IC50 of acarbose, the standard it was compared to, was 0.058 mg/mL.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that E. japonica is a promising natural treatment for diabetes.

Journal Reference:

Khatik GL, Singh A, Khurana N, Sharma N, Tomar B, Yadav P, Vyas M, Satija S. PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF LEAVES OF ERIOBOTRYA JAPONICA AND ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIDIABETIC EVALUATION OF ITS METHANOLIC EXTRACT. International Journal of Green Pharmacy. 2019;13(3):306-311. DOI: 10.22377/ijgp.v13i3.2612