Corchorus olitorius and Moringa oleifera Manage Alpha-amylase and Alpha-glucosidase in Type 2 Diabetes: An in vitro and in silico Approach

This work investigated the potential of C. olitorius and M. oleifera leaves and seeds as sources of bioactive compounds for T2DM treatment. We used in silico approaches to examine their inhibitory effects against alpha-amylase and alphaglucosidase, two key enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism. Antioxidant activity tests revealed IC50 values of 108.96 µg/mL and 139.67 µg/mL for C. olitorius leaves and seeds, respectively, while M. oleifera leaves and seeds exhibited IC50 values of 132.15 µg/mL and 174.86 µg/mL, respectively. Cytotoxicity assays against Artemia salina indicated lower toxicity for leaf extracts compared to seed extracts. A comprehensive review of chromatography studies identified 223 phytochemicals from both plants. Among these, prunol, stigmasterol, and acarbose (control) showed the most favorable binding affinities to alpha-amylase, with binding free energies of -9.3, -9.4, and -7.9 Kcal/mol, respectively. For alpha-glucosidase, rutin, apigetrin, and acarbose (control) displayed binding energies of -8.9, -8.1, and -7.0 Kcal/mol, respectively. Molecular dynamics parameters (RMSD, SASA, Rg, RMSF, and H-bonds) demonstrated that stigmasterol and rutin exhibited the highest stability, suggesting their strong potential as competitive inhibitors. ADMET analysis further confirmed the favorable physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and safety profiles of these compounds, positioning them as promising candidates for drug development. However, further in vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies are required to confirm their therapeutic efficacy in managing type 2 diabetes.