Research Information System
CHEMISTRYSELECT, vol.10, no.42, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The fruits of Prunus spinosa L. have been consumed for dietary purposes and as a remedy for various conditions, including diabetes. This study aimed to isolate the secondary metabolites of P. spinosa fruits and evaluate their potential antidiabetic activities through in silico modelling. The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of crude and sub-extracts were evaluated as supportive of antidiabetic properties. The fruits were extracted with methanol and sequentially partitioned using chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The methanol extract was further subjected to chromatographic separation to obtain pure compounds; molecular docking was performed to predict their inhibitory potential against selected drug targets involved in diabetes pathophysiology. The extracts demonstrated moderate antioxidant and low antimicrobial activity, compared to the reference compounds. Since none of them was responsible for both activities, isolation studies were conducted on the crude methanol extract, from which benzylalcohol beta-(6 ''-beta-xylopyranosyl)-glucopyranoside and benzylalcohol beta-(6 ''-alpha-arabinopyranosyl)-glucopyranoside were obtained. Both compounds were predicted to have the potential to inhibit alpha-glucosidase and sodium/glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2). This study is the first record of two benzyl alcohol derivatives from P. spinosa. Molecular modelling studies indicate these derivatives may serve as key contributors to the plant's antidiabetic properties and provide a foundation for future experimental work.