The inhibition of porcine pancreatic α-amylase and mammalian α-glucosidase by 16 individual flavonoids was determined. The IC50 values for baicalein, (+)-catechin, quercetin, and luteolin were 74.1 ± 5.6, 175.1 ± 9.1, 281.2 ± 19.2, and 339.4 ± 16.3 μM, respectively, against α-glucosidase. The IC50 values for apigenin and baicalein were 146.8 ± 7.1 and 446.4 ± 23.9 μM, respectively, against α-amylase. The combination of baicalein, quercetin, or luteolin with acarbose showed synergistic inhibition, and the combination of (+)-catechin with acarbose showed antagonistic inhibition of α-glucosidase. The combination of baicalein or apigenin with acarbose showed additive inhibition of α-amylase at lower concentrations and antagonistic inhibition at a higher concentration. Kinetic studies of α-glucosidase activity revealed that baicalein alone, acarbose alone, and the combination showed noncompetitive, competitive, and mixed-type inhibition, respectively. Molecular modeling revealed that baicalein had higher affinity to the noncompetitive binding site of maltase, glucoamylase, and isomaltase subunits of α-glucosidase, with glide scores of -7.64, -6.98, and -6.88, respectively. (+)-Catechin had higher affinity to the active sites of maltase and glucoamylase and to the noncompetitive site of isomaltase. After sucrose loading, baicalein dose-dependently reduced the postprandial blood glucose (PBG) level in mice. The combination of 80 mg/kg baicalein and 1 mg/kg acarbose synergistically lowered the level of PBG, and the hypoglycemic effect was comparable to 8 mg/kg acarbose. The results indicated that baicalein could be used as a supplemental drug or dietary supplement in dietary therapy for diabetes mellitus.
Keywords: acarbose; baicalein; postprandial blood glucose; synergistic inhibition; α-glucosidase.