Inhibitory effects of crude drugs on alpha-glucosidase.

The inhibitory activity of several crude drugs on alpha-glucosidases, which are the key enzymes for carbohydrate digestion and the prevention of diabetic complications, was investigated. Several crude drugs including Terminaliae Fructus, Mori Cortex Radicis, Caesalpiniae Lignum and Gyrophora esculenta potently inhibited maltase and sucrase isolated from rat intestine, while Arecae Semen and Corni Fructus remarkably inhibited alpha-amylase. Caesalpiniae Lignum and Gyrophora esculenta exhibited significant reductions of blood glucose elevation in mice loaded with maltose and sucrose.