Acacia Arabica, commonly found in West Africa, Australia, Colombia, and India, is a potential source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. This study aimed to assess its proximate composition, phytochemicals, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical screening of aqueous and alcoholic leaf extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, and other active constituents. Antioxidant potential was evaluated using FRAP, metal chelating, DPPH, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. The alcoholic extract exhibited stronger antioxidant activity, likely due to phenolic hydroxyl groups. Acute oral toxicity studies showed no adverse effects up to 2000 mg/kg body weight. Antidiabetic activity was tested in alloxan-induced diabetic rats using 20 and 30 mg/kg doses. Fasting blood glucose levels (FBGL) were recorded on days 7, 14, and 21, and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) on days 8, 15, and 22. The extracts significantly reduced blood glucose levels and showed hypoglycemic activity in normal rats. Effects were comparable to standard drug Glibenclamide. The results suggest that Acacia Arabica leaves may help regenerate insulin-secreting β-cells and could serve as a natural therapeutic option for diabetes management, warranting further isolation and characterization of active compounds.
Shankar et al. (Sun,) studied this question.