Dacryodes edulis enhances antioxidant activities, suppresses DNA fragmentation in oxidative pancreatic and hepatic injuries; and inhibits carbohydrate digestive enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes.

The leaves of Dacryodes edulis were investigated for their anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic potentials in vitro. Extracts from sequential extraction with solvents of increasing polarity (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous) of the leaves were subjected to in vitro antioxidant assays using the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) protocols respectively. Their inhibitory effects were investigated on α-glucosidase, pancreatic lipases, pancreatic ATPase and glucose-6-phospatase activities. Their antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects on Fe2+ - induced oxidative injuries in pancreatic and hepatic tissues were also investigated ex vivo. The ethanol extract was subjected to Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis to identify its bioactive chemical constituents. The extracts showed potent free radical scavenging activity and significantly (p<0.05) inhibited all studied enzymes, with the ethanol extract showing greater activities. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) activities were significantly (p<0.05) increased in both pancreatic and hepatic tissues with concomitant elevation of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels as well as reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). The extracts significantly inhibited DNA fragmentation. These activities were dose - dependent. Amongst compounds identified, only Kaur-15-ene, Urs-12-ene-3-ol acetate and 2,3,23-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid methyl ester showed strong binding affinities when docked with α-glucosidase (PDB ID:3TON). These results indicate the anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic and anti-obesogenic potentials of D. edulis leaves, which gives credence to its antidiabetic folkloric claims.