Cost-Effective Plant-Based Therapies for Diabetes-Hypertension Comorbidity: Evaluating Commercialized Medicinal Plants for ACE and α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity

The escalating global prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and their synergistic amplification of cardiovascular risk, highlights an urgent need for safe and effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated fifteen medicinal plants that are widely available in the Jordanian market and commonly used in traditional Jordanian medicine —Ammi visnaga L., Apium graveolens L., Circaea lutetiana L., Cyperus rotundus L., Ginkgo biloba L., Hypericum perforatum L., Juniperus phoenicea L., Lepidium sativum L., Melilotus officinalis L., Panax ginseng L., Peganum harmala L., Rheum ribes L., Rubia tinctorum L., Senna alexandrina Mill., and Urtica pilulifera L.—for their potential to concurrently target these conditions through inhibition of Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) and α-amylase. Senna alexandrina Mill. and Melilotus officinalis L. demonstrated the most potent Angiotensin-1 Converting Enzyme (ACE), followed by Circaea lutetiana L. and Cyperus rotundus L. while Apium graveolens L. and Juniperus phoenicea L. exhibited exceptional α-amylase inhibition (99.85% and 99.25%, respectively)., The potent α-amylase inhibition by Juniperus phoenicea provides a mechanistic validation for its traditional use in glucose management. To rationalize the observed bioactivity, molecular docking was performed against well-documented bioactive constituents previously isolated and reported for these plants. Analysis revealed that flavonoids exhibited binding affinities comparable to the native ligand, myricetin (in human amylase; PDB: 4GQR), and the reference inhibitor, omapatrilat (in human ACE; PDB: 6H5W), a finding validated by redocking studies. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between phytochemical content (TPC, TFC, TTC) and the observed bioactivities.