In Vitro Antidiabetic Evaluation and Phytochemical Characterization of Sapindus mukorossi Fruit Pericarp Extract

ABSTRACT

Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn. is widely used in traditional medicine due to its saponin‐rich fruits, but its potential application in metabolic disorders, particularly in modulating dietary starch digestion, remains underexplored. This study evaluated the chemical composition and quantitative phytochemical profiles of successive petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA), and 70% ethanol (70% EtOH) Soxhlet extracts of S. mukorossi fruit pericarp, while assessing the in vitro antidiabetic potential of the EA and 70% EtOH fractions. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis revealed distinct, solvent‐dependent volatile profiles. All three fractions were dominated by 3‐methyl‐4‐oxopentanoic acid, which may be a thermal degradation product formed during GC heating, along with solvent‐dependent variations in xanthine alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenols observed across the extracts. Total saponin content (TSC) and total phenolic content (TPC) increased concurrently with solvent polarity. The 70% EtOH extract yielded the highest concentration of phytochemicals (TSC = 48.77 ± 0.88 mg DE/g; TPC = 528.67 ± 2.89 mg GAE/g), followed by the EA and PE fractions. Functionally, both polar extracts exhibited concentration‐dependent α ‐amylase inhibitory activity. The 70% EtOH extract achieved 82.46% to 89.34% enzyme inhibition across a concentration range of 1–100 µg/mL, comparable to the reference standard acarbose (92.26 ± 2.85% at 65 µg/mL). These findings suggest that S. mukorossi pericarp is a viable source of polar polyphenols and amphiphilic saponins with potential utility in managing postprandial glycemic excursions.