Purification, biochemical characterization, and DPP-IV and α-amylase inhibitory activity of Berberine from Cardiospermum halicacabum.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has spread across the globe, increasing the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other comorbidities. Despite substantial research into the development of diabetic treatments that are effective in lowering blood glucose levels, their efficiency is short-lived due to unpleasant side effects such as weight gain and hypoglycemia. The discovery of secondary metabolites in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications has an incentive to take interest in plant-based medications, and enzyme inhibitors have the potential to aid in the treatment and management of DM. This study aims to isolate, characterize, and analyse the influence of berberine-like alkaloids from alcoholic Cardiospermum halicacabum extract in vitro and in silico, as a possible inhibitor of Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) and α-amylase, two essential enzymes involved in diabetes. The alkaloid from C. halicacabum was identified as berberine, with an m/z of 336.1263. Purified berberine inhibits DPP-IV with an IC of 16.328 ± 1.344 μM and inhibits α-amylase by 72% at 10 μg/mL. In-silico studies demonstrated that berberine was found to bind to the active site of both DPP-IV and α-amylase. The precise mechanism underlying the observation has to be researched further in order to investigate C. halicacabum's anti-diabetic effects and argue for its possible application as alternative medicine.