Purpose: To evaluate the glucosidase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities of five selected edible and
medicinal ferns, namely,
Blechnum orientale
,
Davallia denticulata
,
Diplazium esculentum
,
Nephrolepis
biserrata
, and
Pteris vittata
.
Methods: The aqueous extracts of the five ferns were prepared by water extraction at 90 ºC for 1 h.
Antiglucosidase assay was used to determine the effect of each extract on yeast alpha-glucosidase
activity in vitro. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using methylthiazol tetrazolium assay on chronic
myelogenous leukaemia cell line (K562). The phenolic, hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonoid and
proanthocyanidin contents of the extracts were also determined.
Results: The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of
D. esculentum (half maximal effective concentration,
EC
50 = 6.85 μg/ml) was considerably stronger than that of myricetin (EC
50 = 53.21 μg/ml).
B. orientale,
D. esculentum,
N. biserrata, and
P. vittata were cytotoxic to K562 cells.
P. vittata had the strongest
cytotoxicity, although it was less potent than 5-fluorouracil.
D. denticulata had the highest phenolic,
hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonoid contents of all the extracts while
B. orientale had the highest
proanthocyanidin content.
Conclusion: Among the five ferns evaluated,
D. esculentum is a potential source of an antidiabetic
agent and is recommended for further investigation in this regard. All the fern extracts, except
D.
denticulata, exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against K562 cells.
