Analysis of Chemical Composition by GC-MS and In-vitro Antidiabetic Activity of Azadirachta Indica Leaves Collected from Erbil, Iraq

Background: Azadirachta indica(Neem) is an important medicinal plant that is traditionally known for its insecticidal, and antimicrobial properties. Objective: The objective of present study was to evaluate the in-vitro antidiabetic activity and characterize the chemical constituents of Neem extract. Materials and Methods: The chemical constituents in ethyl acetate extract of the Neem leaves were determined by GC-MS and the in-vitro antidiabetic activity of Neem extract was evaluated via the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Results: The ethyl acetate extract of Neem yielded 49 chemical compounds and these constituents amounting to 97.07% of total Neem leaf extract composition. The major chemical components of the Neem were octadecanoic acid (7.17%), propyl tetracosyl ether (5.35%), 1-decanol, 2-octyl (5.01%), hexadecane (4.70%), tricosane (4.73%), octadecane, 1-chloro (4.65%), and linolenic acid (4.35%). The Neem extract produces dose dependent-inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes ranging from 21.67±2.81 to 75.82±3.44% and 17.04±4.43 to 58.44±1.21% for concentration 31.25 to 1000 μg/mL, respectively. The IC50 values for Neem extract and acarbose were 165.53±2.75 and 91.04±2.16μg/mL, respectively against the α-amylase enzyme. The IC50 values for Neem extract and acarbose were 210.08±2.16 and 120.05±2.16 μg/mL, respectively against the α-glucosidase enzyme. Conclusion: The study findings suggested that Neem may be used as drug candidate in the management of post prandial hyperglycemia.