Exploration of Antidiabetic Activity of the Whole Plant Extract of <i>Eclipta prostrata</i> by <i>In Silico</i>, <i>In Vitro</i>, and <i>In Vivo</i> Methods

Background: Diabetes is the most common chronic disease worldwide, requiring lifelong medication support. As conventional medications have numerous long-term side effects, herbal drugs, which offer similar effectiveness but fewer complications, are considered an alternative. A common tropical herb, Eclipta prostrata, was tested for its antidiabetic activities. Objectives: The principal objective of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic efficacy of E. prostrata extract using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods. Methods: The in silico study comprised ligand library preparation through a literature review, structure optimization using Avogadro software and molecular docking against five antidiabetic macromolecules using PyRx. The in vitro alpha-amylase inhibitory study was conducted using the dried extract of E. prostrata. The in vivo study was performed on alloxan monohydrate-induced diabetic rats at a dose of 150 mg/kg, followed by treatment with three doses of 70% ethanolic extract of the whole plant (250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 750 mg/kg) for 28 days. Then, plasma glucose levels, plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels, and histopathological assays of rat livers were carried out. Results: The in silico studies helped screen out the most effective antidiabetic constituents of E. prostrata, which may serve as lead compounds for developing antidiabetic drugs in the future. The IC50 value for E. prostrata extract was 22.21 mg/mL in the alpha-amylase assay. The plant extract significantly improved the health of the diabetes-induced rats. Conclusion: Based on these findings, E. prostrata could be an effective natural antidiabetic drug.