European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ISOLATION OF ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS FROM THE SEAWEED GRACILARIA CORTICATA AND ITS ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY BY ALPHA-AMYLASE INHIBITION ASSAY

R. Ushasri* and R. Anusha

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder resulting from deficiency in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both promoting disturbance of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Inhibition of alpha amylase, enzyme that plays a role in digestion of starch and glycogen. The aim was to study the ant diabetic activity of endophytic fungi isolated from Gracilaria corticata sea weed. Sea weed was processed and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and Sabourds Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium respectively. The plates were incubated at room temperature. Fungal growth was characterized and identified. The mycelial growth of Aspergillus fumigatus was inoculated into Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) and allowed for fermentation the mycelial mat was observed. The mycelial mat was separated and extracted with acetone and ethanol the amylase inhibitory assay method was done using the spectrometry method. The crude ethanol and acetone extract of fungi showed the highest inhibitory activity of 33% and 21%.

Keywords: Gracilaria corticata, potato dextrose agar, Alpha amylase, Diabetes, entophytic fungi, DNS.