Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 14, 2026 43 minutes ago
Medical News: A team of researchers from the University of Swabi in Pakistan, Qassim University in Saudi Arabia, and Kohat University of Science and Technology in Pakistan has discovered that natural compounds extracted from the roots of the medicinal plant Ziziphus oxyphylla may help fight diabetes by targeting several key enzymes linked to blood sugar control.
Scientists discover powerful natural compounds from Ziziphus roots that may help control diabetes by blocking multiple
blood sugar enzymes
The study focused on three special phytochemical compounds known as cyclopeptide alkaloids—Oxyphylline-D, Nummularine-C, and Nummularine-R. Scientists found that these compounds showed promising anti-diabetic activity in both computer simulations and laboratory testing. The findings are exciting because diabetes cases continue to rise worldwide, while many current medications often cause side effects such as stomach issues, weight gain, heart complications, or kidney-related problems.
Natural Compounds Show Strong Enzyme Blocking Ability
The scientists examined how the plant compounds interacted with three important enzymes linked to diabetes: α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and DPP-4. These enzymes play major roles in breaking down carbohydrates and regulating blood sugar levels after meals.
When α-amylase and α-glucosidase are blocked, the body absorbs sugar more slowly, preventing dangerous spikes in blood glucose. Meanwhile, blocking DPP-4 helps the body maintain hormones that stimulate insulin release.
Using advanced molecular docking techniques, the research team found that the compounds attached strongly to these enzyme targets. Among the three tested compounds, Nummularine-C consistently performed the best across multiple targets.
One of the strongest findings involved DPP-4 inhibition. Nummularine-C achieved a very strong binding score of −10.1 kcal/mol, significantly outperforming the standard reference compound Diprotin-A, which scored −7.2 kcal/mol. This suggests the plant compound may interact more effectively with the enzyme.
Laboratory Tests Confirmed the Results
The laboratory experiments backed up the computer findings. Nummularine-C showed impressive activity in suppressing DPP-4, with an IC50 value of 28.87 µg/mL. Lower IC50 values generally indicate stronger activity.
For α-amylase inhibition, Nummularine-R produced the strongest effect, followed closely by Nummularine-C. These compounds performed surprisingly close to acarbose, a commonly prescribed anti-diabetic drug.
The researchers also noted that the chloroform fraction extracted from the plant roots displayed particularly strong activity against all three tested enzymes, suggesting that the plant contains several beneficial bioactive substances working together.
According to the researchers, the structure of these cyclopeptide alkaloids appears to be important. Nummularine-C contains a hydrophobic benzyl group that may help it fit more effectively into the enzyme’s active site. This may explain why it re
peatedly showed superior performance during testing.
Why This Discovery Matters
This
Medical News report highlights how natural products continue to attract attention as safer alternatives or supportive therapies for diabetes management.
Many synthetic diabetes drugs are effective but may trigger serious side effects after long-term use. Plant-derived compounds with multi-target activity are increasingly viewed as valuable candidates for future drug development.
The researchers emphasized that these compounds do not just affect one pathway. Instead, they appear capable of influencing several mechanisms linked to blood sugar control simultaneously. This multi-target action is considered highly valuable in treating complex diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
The study also supports traditional medicinal use of Ziziphus oxyphylla, which has long been used in parts of South Asia for metabolic disorders.
More Research Still Needed
Despite the encouraging findings, the researchers cautioned that the work remains in an early stage. The experiments were performed mainly in laboratory systems and computer simulations rather than in human patients.
Further studies are now needed to determine safety, toxicity, dosage levels, absorption in the human body, and long-term effectiveness. Animal studies and eventually human clinical trials will be required before these compounds could become approved treatments.
Still, the results suggest that cyclopeptide alkaloids from Ziziphus oxyphylla may eventually help scientists develop new diabetes therapies with fewer side effects and improved blood sugar control.
The conclusions of the study are especially important because they demonstrate that natural plant compounds can successfully target multiple diabetes-related enzymes at the same time. Researchers believe Nummularine-C in particular could become a promising lead compound for future anti-diabetic drug development. While much more testing is needed before clinical use becomes possible, the findings provide strong scientific support for continuing research into medicinal plants as valuable sources of safer diabetes treatments.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Biomolecules.
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/5/700
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Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/diabetes
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/herbs-and-phytochemicals
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