Bioactive Natural Products from Piper betle L. Leaves and their α -Glucosidase Inhibitory Potential

Piper betle L. can be a valuable proposal for the prevention and treatment of several disorders. In fact, i ts leaves are largely consumed as mouth freshener and masticator, being known for their biological properties. This material possesses several kinds of bioactive natural products. Considering that diabetes is a worldwide disease with strong impact on human health, this work intended to explore the in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity of P. betle leaves, as well as to improve the knowledge on their metabolic pattern. Thus, a targeted metabolite analysis of the aqueous and ethanolic extract was performed by GC-MS, a similar qualitative profile of both extracts being observed. Fourteen metabolites were determined in P. betle leaves, five of them for the first time. Alanine and β-sitosterol were the main amino acid and sterol, respectively. Stearic and palmitic acids were the predominant fatty acids. A strong capacity to inhibit α-glucosidase was noticed, ethanol extract being more active than the positive control (acarbose) tested under the same conditions. Taking into account the results obtained, this work further extends the potential application of this herbal medicine, suggesting that its consumption may have a positive impact in the prevention and treatment of diabetes disease.