It is now believed that the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes (CHEs) in the digestive tract can significantly prolong the overall carbohydrate digestion time and decrease the postprandial hyperglycemia after a meal. Therefore, inhibitors of CHEs can be useful therapeutic approaches in the management of diabetes mellitus, especially in the type 2, and complications associated with t...

Transient starch in leaves is synthesized by various biosynthetic enzymes in the chloroplasts during the light period. This paper presents the first mathematical model for the (bio)synthesis of the chain-length distribution (CLD) of transient starch to aid the understanding of this synthesis. The model expresses the rate of change of the CLD in terms of the actions of the enzymes involved. Usin...

It is believed that the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes including α-amylase and α-glucosidase is one of the therapeutic approaches to decrease the postprandial glucose level after a meal, especially in the people with type 2 diabetes. Medicinal plants and their extracts are one of the main sources to find new inhibitors to the enzymes. In our study four flavonoids, namely luteoli...

the effect of a neuropeptide, the tachykinin on α-amylase, protease and lipase activities in the midgut of american cockroach, periplaneta americana (linnaeus) is evaluated . immunohistochemical reactivities against tachykinin (tachykinin- ir) were detected in the midgut. tachykinin-ir cells in three regions (anterior, median and posterior) of the midgut were counted in normally fed, starved fo...

BACKGROUND Some Ficus species have been used in traditional African medicine in the treatment of diabetes. The antidiabetic potential of certain species has been confirmed in vivo but the mechanism of activity remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the activity and to investigate the mechanism of antidiabetic activity of ten selected Ficus species through inhibition of α-amyl...

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the prominent Gram positive human pathogen secretes many surface and secretary proteins including various enzymes and pathogenic factors that favour the successful colonization and infection of host tissue. α-amylase is one of the enzymes secreted by S. aureus which catalyses the breakdown of complex sugars to monosaccharides, which are required for colonization ...

BACKGROUND Starch, a homopolysaccharide is an important and an abundant food reserve and energy source. Starches are processed to yield different products which find many industrial applications. Alpha-amylases hydrolyze starch by cleaving α-1,4-glucosidic bonds and have been used in food, textile and pharmaceutical industries [Sun et al. 2010]. Enzymatic conversion of starch with amylase prese...

In the present study, selection of an appropriate volume and temperature for α-amylase production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae GCB-20 has been reported. The fermentation medium at the level of 15-40 ml was investigated in 250 ml conical flasks for enzyme production. Maximum α-amylase production (210 IU/ml/min) by S. cerevisiae GCB-20 was obtained in 25 ml of fermentation medium at 35°C. The kine...

Materials and Methods: Antidiabetic potential of GW was evaluated by assay of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity; haemoglobin glycosylation and yeast glucose uptake. The antioxidant potential of GW was assessed by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 2,2′azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation decolorization assay and superoxide assay. The inh...