Frutos da família Myrtaceae: Caracterização físicoquímica e potencial inibitório da atividade das enzimas digestivas

Abstract

Campomanesia xanthocarpa (guabiroba), Eugenia uniflora (pitanga), Eugenia pyriformis (uvaia), Psidium cattleianum (araçá) and Syzygium cumini (jambolão) grow in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and their fruits are commonly used as medicine to treat diseases related to carbohydrate metabolism, such as diabetes. The effectiveness of these treatments has not been demonstrated neither the biochemical mechanism involved. Therefore this study was devised to evaluate the potential of natural compounds of these fruits to inhibit key enzymes α-amylase and α- glucosidase involved in the carbohydrate metabolism. The fruits were also subjected to physicochemical characterization, quantification of phenolics compounds and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH methods). The methanolic extracts of P. cattleianum (access 44), S. cumini, E. pyriformis (accesses 11 and 15) distinctively inhibited α-amylase activity. The methanolic extracts of P. cattleianum. (accesses 44 and 87) also inhibited α-glycosidase activity, with either maltose or sucrose as substrate. By having antioxidant activities, a fairly content of phenolic compounds, and capacity to inhibit carbohydrate digestive enzymes, P. cattleianum (access 44 and 87), S. cumini and E. pyriformis (accesses 11 and 15) could be good candidates to be used in the management of postprandial hyperglycemia.