Exploring the Antidiabetic and Cytotoxic Potential of Five Edible Ferns: A Bioactivity Study

What is it about?

This study evaluated the potential of five edible and medicinal ferns to inhibit glucosidase activity (an enzyme involved in diabetes) and induce cytotoxicity on a leukemia cell line. The results showed that Diplazium esculentum had strong antiglucosidase properties, making it a promising candidate for further investigation as an antidiabetic agent. All extracts except Davallia denticulata exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against K562 cells, with Pteris vittata having the strongest effect but still less potent than 5-fluorouracil. Interestingly, there were no correlations between bioactivity and phytochemical parameters in this study suggesting other unknown compounds may be responsible for these effects or variations exist within known constituents' efficacy levels across different species of ferns.

Featured Image

Photo by Nikita Tikhomirov on Unsplash

Photo by Nikita Tikhomirov on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The importance of this work lies in the evaluation of five edible and medicinal ferns for their potential to inhibit glucosidase activity (an enzyme involved in diabetes) and induce cytotoxicity on a leukemia cell line. The results provide insights into which species may have antidiabetic or anticancer properties, paving the way for further research that could lead to new treatments or dietary interventions. Additionally, this study contributes to our understanding of phytochemical constituents within these plants as well as variations between different species' efficacy levels across known compounds with bioactivity against specific targets such as alpha-glucosidase inhibition or cancer cells growth suppression.