Anti-diabetic, antioxidants, and molecular docking analysis of isolated essential oils from the East-Bornean endemic ginger, Etlingera balikpapanensis A.D.Poulsen

Etlingera balikpapanensis, a rhizomatous plant native to East Kalimantan and a member of the Zingiberaceae family, shows great promise for use in traditional medicine. This research investigated the biological activities of the essential oils derived from the rhizome of E. balikpapanensis for their antidiabetic and antioxidant activities, and molecular docking analysis of their chemical constituents for the first time. The essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation, and their chemical composition was analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The essential oils were evaluated for their antidiabetic properties through the inhibition of α-glucosidase, using molecular docking techniques. The evaluation aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of essential oil compounds on the target protein with their potential antidiabetic properties. A total of 62 volatile compounds were identified, with eucalyptol (3.06%), linalool (8.74%), benzyl benzoate (15.24%), and 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl, phenylmethyl ester, (E) (14.63%) identified as the predominant constituents. These essential oils demonstrated significant antioxidant activities against ABTS and nitric oxide free radicals compared to ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the essential oils demonstrated an IC₅₀ value comparable to acarbose as the positive control. In the in silico analysis, the major compounds derived from the essential oils yielded significant insights for molecular docking by the GOLD score assessment. This study indicates that the essential oils extracted from the rhizome of E. balikpapanensis possess potential antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, thereby underscoring their potential as a functional secondary agentthat may mitigate the risks associated with diabetic complications.