In vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of Cinnamomum tamala and Cinnamomum verum extracts

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disorder characterized by oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction. Bioactive substances found in plants, such as phenolics and flavonoids, restore redox balance and inhibit enzymes that degrade carbohydrates. Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) T.Nees and C.H.Eberm. and Cinnamomum verum J. Presl were used in the treatment of metabolic diseases, although less is known about their antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. Methodology: Ethanolic extracts of C. tamala leaves and C. verum bark were prepared and fractionated with polar and non-polar solvents. Phytochemical screening, total phenolic content (TPC, mg GAE/g), and total flavonoid content (TFC, mg QE/g) were measured, along with the antioxidant activity using DPPH and NO radical scavenging assays, and antidiabetic potential using α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays, using acarbose as the benchmark. Result and Discussion: Alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins were present in both species. The n-butanol fraction had the highest TPC (16.48 mg GAE/g) and TFC (28.74 mg QE/g) in C. verum. In antioxidant assays, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited higher radical-scavenging activity than the other solvent fractions. In C. verum, ethyl acetate fractions exhibited the strongest antidiabetic effects, with α-glucosidase inhibition comparable to that of acarbose. Both plant species exhibited significant in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Conclusion: This study supports the use of C. tamala and C. verum in diabetes care and suggests that the ethyl acetate fraction exhibits higher in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activity; however, further in vivo studies, mechanistic studies, and formulation development are required to validate these findings.