Aqueous Extracts from Unripe Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) Products Inhibit Key Enzymes Linked with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension in vitro

Mature green plantains bought at Oja-Oba in Akure were roasted into a local meal called boli while another portion was boiled in water. Each of the samples was sun dried and milled into flour. The aqueous extracts of roasted and boiled were prepared (lOg/lOOmL). The study was based on inhibition of a-amylase, a-glucosidase and angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE). The antioxidant activities of the plantain extracts to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+ and to bind to iron (II) ions were evaluated. The phenolic contents (total phenol and total flavonoid), vitamin C and ABTS (2,2 -azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) were also determined. The results revealed that the boiled flour had higher (P 0.05) phenolic contents and reducing power while the roasted flour had higher Vitamin C content but there was no significant difference between the ABTS• antioxidant activity of both the roasted and boiled. The higher enzyme inhibitory activities on a-amylase, a- glucosidase and angiotensin 1 converting enzyme (ACE) were exhibited by the boiled flour extract. The trend of this result followed what was observed in the phenolic contents. In view of these findings there is suggestion that plantain possesses compounds with anti-diabetes and anti-hypertension activities that may be beneficial eventually as functional foods