The impact of commercially available, seaweed-based food products on α-amylase activity

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with a risk of further complications. The current drug therapy for management of postprandial glycaemia/insulinaemia (e.g. acarbose) targets inhibition of the major enzyme involved in dietary starch digestion (alpha-amylase). However such treatments are often associated with adverse gastrointestinal symptoms(1). Seaweed's have previously been evidenced to partially inhibit digestives enzyme alpha-amylase and thus may form a relevant dietary approach. Seaweed snack and soup-base products are readily available in Singapore and would be subject to heating and/or drying procedures in their production and preparation. This study therefore aims to assess whether commercially available seaweed preparations can exhibit/retain any alpha-amylase inhibitory potential. A 96-well microplate colorimetric assay was utilised to determine the inhibitory activities of five commercially available seaweeds in Singapore. Seaweed extracts (roughly and finely ground) were assessed for their ability to inhibit alpha-amylase using a previously described colorimetric methodology based on estimation of reducing sugar production (n = 3 for each sample)(3). One sample T-test and ANOVA was carried out to determine statistical significance between control and seaweed extracts. All five seaweed extracts inhibited alpha-amylase significantly (p { } 0*05) up to a 60 minute time period. However, the inhibitory activities of roughly ground seaweeds were significantly more (p {