article · Life
Extracts from the leaves of the medicinal plant Ajuga iva show substantial antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties in laboratory and animal tests. Chemical profiling revealed that the plant contains numerous primary and secondary metabolites, including thirty-two polyphenolic compounds such as ferulic acid and quercetin. In laboratory assays, hydroethanolic extracts demonstrated notable antioxidant power across three distinct tests, correlating closely with elevated concentrations of polyphenols and flavonoids. Furthermore, the extracts displayed antibacterial and antifungal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida parapsilosis. In animal testing using healthy rats, aqueous leaf extracts significantly lowered postprandial blood glucose spikes during oral glucose tolerance tests. Both laboratory and live animal assessments also confirmed that the aqueous extract effectively inhibits pancreatic alpha-amylase, an enzyme responsible for carbohydrate digestion.
Diabetes and microbial infections represent major global health challenges requiring effective, accessible treatments. Evaluating plants used in traditional medicine provides rigorous evidence regarding their pharmacological properties. This work confirms that Ajuga iva produces chemical compounds that can suppress carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, lower post-meal blood sugar levels, and combat microbial pathogens, offering a scientific foundation for potential plant-derived therapeutics.
The findings suggest potential applications for pharmaceutical developers seeking bioactive ingredients for antidiabetic therapies, antimicrobial treatments, or antioxidant products. However, because the evidence is limited to laboratory assays and preliminary small-animal models, this work is at an early research stage. Substantial additional work, including formulation development, human clinical trials, and safety evaluations, is required before these extracts could be translated into commercial medicines.
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In Morocco, many applications in ethnomedicine on Ajuga iva (L.) have been recognized as able to treat various pathologies such as diabetes, stress, and microbial infections. The objective of this work is to carry out phytochemical, biological, and pharmacological investigations on the extracts of Ajuga iva leaves in order to confirm its therapeutic effects. The phytochemical screening carried out on the different extracts of Ajuga iva showed its richness in primary (lipids and proteins) and secondary metabolites (flavonoids, tannins, reducing compounds, oses, and holoside. The best contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins evaluated by spectrophotometric methods were found in the hydroethanolic extract (69.850 ± 2.783 mg EAG/g DE, 17.127 ± 0.474 mg EQ/g DE, 5.566 ± 0.000 mg EQC/g DE), respectively. Analysis of the chemical composition of the aqueous extract by LC/UV/MS revealed 32 polyphenolic compounds including ferulic acid (19.06%), quercetin (10.19%), coumaric acid (9.63%), and apigenin-7-(2-O-apiosylglucoside) (6.8%). The antioxidant activity of Ajuga iva extracts was evaluated by three methods (DPPH*, FRAP, CAT). The hydroethanolic extract recorded the strongest reducing power: DPPH* (IC50 = 59.92 ± 0.7 µg/mL), FRAP (EC50 = 196.85 ± 1.54 (µg/mL), and CAT (199.21 ± 0.37 mg EAG/gE). A strong correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities was confirmed by the determination of Pearson’s coefficient. The antimicrobial activity of Ajuga iva studied by the microtiter method revealed potent antifungal and antibacterial qualities against Candida parapsilosis and Staphylococcus aureus BLACT. An in vivo oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using normal rats revealed that the antihyperglycemic action of the aqueous extract significantly reduced postprandial hyperglycaemia at (30 min, p < 0.01) and area under the curve (AUC glucose), p < 0.01. Similarly, the aqueous extract, tested on pancreatic α-amylase enzyme activity in vitro and in vivo significantly inhibited pancreatic α-amylase activity with IC50 = 1.52 ± 0.03 mg/mL. In conclusion, the extract from Ajuga iva could be a good source of bioactive molecules, which exhibit potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as strong antidiabetic activity, for applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
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DOI: 10.3390/life13051165
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