Chemical Characterization and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Essential Oil of Lavandula angustifolia Flowers

Lavandula angustifolia is a major source of high-quality fragrance and extensively used in aromatherapy. Lavender is widely found in the Jammu and Kashmir region of India. The aim of the present study to determine chemical constituents present in the essential oil of L. angustifolia flowers by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and to evaluate its antihyperglycemic activity via inhibition of the alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The chemical constituents of the essential of L. angustifolia flowers were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and its antihyperglycemic activity was evaluated by inhibition of the alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The Lavender flowers yielded 41 chemical constituents which constitute about 99.28 % of total essential oil and the major chemical constituents include linalyl acetate (39.28 %), linalool (26.76 %), trans-beta-caryophyllene (4.77 %), lavandulyl acetate (3.04 %) and 1,8-cineole (2.15 %). The essential oil from flowers of L. angustifolia showed concentration dependant alpha-glucosidase enzyme inhibition that varies from 24.27 +/- 2.18 to 64.04 +/- 1.29 % for concentration 31.25 to 1000 mu g/mL, respectively. The L. angustifolia essential oil with IC50 value 609.44 +/- 13.01 was found comparable with acarbose (IC50 value 526.5 +/- 12.19 mu g/mL) against the alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The study finding provides the basis for the possible use of L. angustifolia essential oil in the management of postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.