Background and objective: Chronic diseases are associated with low-grade inflammation and oxidative damage. Traditional medicines have been used to manage these disorders due to their high polyphenol content and potent antioxidant activity. We evaluated the in-vitro anti-diabetic and antioxidant potential of extracts of several medicinal plants namely, Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia chebula and Hippophae rhamnoides. Methods: Total polyphenol, flavonoid, and saponin contents were estimated by standard methods. Antioxidant activity was measured using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. The anti-diabetic potential was evaluated using in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibition assay. Background and objective: Chronic diseases are associated with low-grade inflammation and oxidative damage. Traditional medicines have been used to manage these disorders due to their high polyphenol content and potent antioxidant activity. We evaluated the in-vitro anti-diabetic and antioxidant potential of extracts of several medicinal plants namely, Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia chebula and Hippophae rhamnoides. Methods: Total polyphenol, flavonoid, and saponin contents were estimated by standard methods. Antioxidant activity was measured using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. The anti-diabetic potential was evaluated using in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibition assay. Results: Terminalia chebula was found to be the richest in both polyphenols (566.5±21.9 µg Gallic acid equivalents/mg of dry weight) and flavonoids (190.67±10.78 quercetin equivalents/mg of dry weight). Extract of Terminalia arjuna was the richest source of saponins (171.92±12.48 μg saponin equivalents/mg of dry weight). All plant extracts showed potent anti-oxidant activity as reflected by their IC50 values in DPPH assay, with Albizia lebbeck (IC50 = 1.35 µg/ml) being the most potent. All plant extracts also showed potent anti-diabetic activity as inferred from their ability to inhibit αglucosidase, the principal enzyme involved in the metabolism of dietary carbohydrates in the intestine. It was observed that all tested extracts were more potent (IC50 2.53 to 227 µg/ml) in comparison to the standard α-glucosidase inhibitor Acarbose (IC50=2.7 mg/ml). Conclusions: The plant extracts of Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia chebula,and Hippophae rhamnoides possess potent antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential and can aid in the management of postprandial hyperglycemia and oxidative damage. Conclusions: The plant extracts of Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Moringa oleifera, Albizia lebbeck, Terminalia chebula,and Hippophae rhamnoides possess potent antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential and can aid in the management of postprandial hyperglycemia and oxidative damage.

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