Novel compounds from Premna herbacea Roxb. with antidiabetic potential

Diabetes mellitus is an epidemic that is growing worldwide at an alarming rate. The need for plant-based drugs to combat this epidemic led to the isolation of three new compounds, namely 1-Benzoyloxy-8-tetradecanoyloxygeranilane (1), 1-Benzoyloxy-8-(octadec-9 ''-enoyl) geranilane (2), and 1-Benzoyloxy-8- octadecanoyloxygeranilane (3), from the roots of Premnaherbacea. Their structures were deciphered by H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR and 2D-NMR. In vitro (alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity) and in vivo antidiabetic activity (streptozotocin- nicotinamide model) were conducted using various groups for which various biochemical parameters and histopathology studies were done. This study confirmed that 1-Benzoyloxy-8-(octadec-9 ''-enoyl) geranilane from roots of Premna herbacea have significant antidiabetic and antioxidant activity, thus indicating a corrective effect on diabetes and its complications.