Inhibition of salivary and pancreatic α-amylases by a pinhão coat (Araucaria angustifolia) extract rich in condensed tannin

- The pinhão coat extract is rich in condensed tannins
- The pinhão coat extract inhibits both human salivary and porcine pancreatic amylases
- In vivo starch hydrolysis is diminished by the pinhão coat extract

The purpose of the present work was to investigate the possible inhibitory effect of a pinhão coat extract rich in condensed tannin on the activity of α-amylases (human salivary and porcine pancreatic). Experiments with the classic α-amylase inhibitor acarbose and a condensed tannin from Acacia mearnsii were done for comparative purposes. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy analysis of the pinhão coat tannin revealed a higher proportion of procyanidins to prodelphinidins when compared to the A. mearnsii tannin. The pinhão coat extract rich in condensed tannin was an effective inhibitor of both human salivary and porcine pancreatic α-amylase. Inhibition was of the mixed S-parabolic I-parabolic type. For the human salivary α-amylase the inhibition constants were 56.88 ± 5.74 and 103.27 ± 11.85 μg/L; for the porcine pancreatic α-amylase the inhibition constants were smaller, namely, 20.25 ± 1.97 and 46.79 ± 4.57 μg/L. The decreasing potency sequence was: acarbose > pinhão coat extract rich in tannin > A. mearnsii tannin. Similarly to acarbose and the A. mearnsii tannin, the pinhão coat extract was also effective in diminishing the post-prandial glycemic levels in rats after starch administration. The inhibitory properties of the pinhão coat extract indicate that it can be used to suppress postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients.