Anti-Peroxidative and Anti-Diabetic
Activities of Aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum l.)
and Identification of Bioactive Compounds

Shobha RI; Rajeshwari CU; Andallu B

Abstract

Anti-Peroxidative and Anti-Diabetic Activities of Aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum l.) and Identification of Bioactive Compounds

Polyphenolic compounds, extensively disseminated in plants, known to be excellent antioxidants, possess the capacity to scavenge free radicals generated due to oxidative processes and protect antioxidant defenses in the body. Also, the polyphenolic compounds present in spices have been used for many years for the effective treatment and management of diabetes mellitus. Aniseed, one of the oldest spices, also used as traditional medicine, possesses carminative, antiseptic, diuretic, and digestive stimulant properties. In this study, lipid peroxidation (marker of oxidative stress) inhibitory effect and antidiabetic activity of various fractions of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) obtained by sequential fractionation of methanolic extract using hexane, benzene, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water were evaluated using in vitro methods and model systems. Though methanolic extract and all the fractions of aniseeds dose dependently exhibited anti-peroxidative and anti-diabetic activities, ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest anti-peroxidative effect in linoleic acid model system (IC50 185μg/ml), and liver homogenate model (IC50 199μg/ml) and anti-diabetic activities in terms of α- amylase and α- glucosidase (IC50 0.12mg/ml and 0.15mg/ml respectively) inhibitory activities. Based on the analytical data generated, ethyl acetate fraction of aniseeds being more potent than the other fractions when subjected to flash chromatography followed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) revealed the presence of a number of polyphenolic compounds, apigenin and luteolin being more predominant than the others. Thus, aniseeds are a promising source of natural radical scavengers, anti-peroxidative and anti-diabetic agents such as phenolic compounds that may possess potential applications in combating oxidative stress caused by free radicals.