Abstract

a-Glucosidase enzymes are responsible for hydrolyses of carbohydrates thereby converting dietary disaccharides into absorbable monosaccharide. Inhibitors of such enzymes can be used as clinical tool for treating diabetes. Conventionally such inhibitors are reported from plant and microbial sources. However, microbial inhibitors are considered to be the most important as they are capable of producing micro molecular compounds. Hence the present study was conducted to test actinobacteria for their ability to produce yeast and rat α-glucosidase inhibitors. a-glucosidase inhibitor producing ability of 30 strains of marine actinobacteria was characterized. The strains showed significant inhibitory activity against yeast and mammalian a-glucosidase. Of the 30 strains, only four strains showed significant yeast a-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Among the four, PSG-22 showed 90% significant inhibitory activity. Similarly, six strains showed above 50% of inhibition of mammalian α-glucosidase enzyme in the rat system. Among the six strains, PSG-22 showed significant activity of about 80% inhibition activity. Interestingly strain PSG-22 was looking like an indigenous marine form as it required seawater for its growth.

Key words: Actinobacteria, a-glucosidase inhibitor, marine, enzyme inhibitor.