An ethnopharmacological investigation of antidiabetic plants used in Gudibande Taluk, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India

AbstractThis research offers an ethnopharmacological investigation of the application of medicinal plants for treating diabetes. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Gudibande Taluk, Chikkaballapur District, Karnataka, India. Traditional healers were interviewed about 28 plant species belonging to 22 families being used in treating diabetes. Fabaceae was recorded as the most prevalent family with maximum number of plant species. Leaves of 41.9% plant species were noticed as the most frequently plant parts used followed by fruits (12.9%), seeds (12.9%), and root (6.5%) for the treatment of diabetes. The study also comprized molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to assess the pharmacological potential of bioactive compounds, focused on interactions with human pancreatic alpha-amylase. Two ligands, metformin and compound 197678, were examined with GROMACS for 200 ns. The findings showed that all protein-ligand complexes maintained structural stability, with RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, and hydrogen bonding metrics indicating the stability and possible effectiveness of these compounds. Conservation issues were also recognized, such as habitat loss and ignorance of younger generations about exposure of traditional knowledge. The results of the study underscored the healing potential of neglected medicinal flora and promote community-driven conservation of plants important for diabetes treatment.