Unveiling the anti-diabetic potential of Cytisus villosus and Cistus laurifolius through HPLC-based phenolic profiling and multimodal analysis
Aziz Zouhri, Naoual El Menyiy, Yahya El-mernissi, Rafik El-mernissi, Amina Labhar, Mohamed Reda Kachmar, Farhan Siddique, Maryam Bashir, Heba Khalil Alyahya, Ahmad Mohammad Salamatullah, Fakhreldeen Dabiellil, Senhaji Nadia, Esmael M. Alyami, Ohoud A. Alghamdi, Lhoussain HajjiAbstract
Cytisus villosus and Cistus laurifolius , traditionally used in Mediterranean herbal medicine for metabolic disorders, remain insufficiently characterized for their antidiabetic activity. This study investigated polyphenol-rich aqueous extracts using integrated in vitro , in vivo , and in silico approaches. HPLC analysis, based on comparison with authentic standards, identified gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, p -coumaric acid, rutin, quercetin, and catechin in both extracts; syringic acid was detected only in C. villosus , whereas salicylic acid was specific to C. laurifolius . In pancreatic α -amylase inhibition assays, IC 50 values were 125.73 ± 3.23 μg/mL and 113.10 ± 2.14 μg/mL, respectively. In alloxan-induced diabetic rats ( n = 6 per group), daily oral administration of 500 mg/kg for 28 days significantly reduced fasting blood glucose from day 7 onward ( P < 0.05), with final decreases of 47.07 % and 50.95 %, compared to 41.75 % in the glibenclamide group. Improvements in lipid profile and reductions in ASAT, ALAT, creatinine, and urea were observed. No acute toxicity was detected at 2000 mg/kg. Molecular docking supported α -amylase inhibition as a contributing mechanism. These findings indicate significant antidiabetic potential of both extracts and support further pharmacological investigation.