Phytochemical screening and hypoglycemic evaluation of red button ginger (Costud woodsonii) leaf extract using alpha-amylase inhibitory assay / by Venice Xandria L. Abella, Risa S. Alimonsurin, Ken S. Cabanalan, Jerco Andrei D. Gutierrez, and Nicole Francesca T. Quiblatin.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder affecting a large portion of the global population, highlights the urgent need to explore alternative and complementary biological treatments. Red button ginger (Costus woodsonii), traditionally used in herbal medicine, is known to contain bioactive phytoconstituents with potential antidiabetic properties. This study investigated the chemical composition and a-amylase inhibitory activity of red button ginger leaf extract as a potential natural antidiabetic agent. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the leaf extract confirmed the presence of several bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids. The a-amylase inhibitory assay was conducted using male and female saliva samples, with acarbose serving as the positive control. In the male saliva group, acarbose exhibited a high inhibition rate of 72.99%, while red button ginger extract demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of 11.39%, 23.21%, and 36.71% at low, medium, and high concentrations, respectively. Similarly, in the female saliva group, acarbose showed 73.28% inhibition, whereas the extract produced inhibitory effects of 12.07%, 23.71%, and 37.50% across increasing concentrations. The results indicate that red button ginger leaf extract possesses significant a-amylase inhibitory activity in a concentration-dependent manner, supporting its traditional use and suggesting its potential as a natural antidiabetic agent. Further studies are recommended to isolate specific active compounds and evaluate their mechanisms of action.

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