Comparative Phytochemical and Nutritional Profiling of Selected Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants: Potential for Functional Food and Phytopharmaceutical Applications

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus remains a major global health challenge, prompting research into medicinal plants as potential sources of bioactive compounds with relevance to diabetes management. This research focused on the mature leaves of five medicinal plants, namely Gongronema latifolium, Mangifera indica L., Vernonia amygdalina., Psidium guajava L., and Carica papaya L., to investigate their phytochemical composition and nutritional profiles as a basis for assessing their potential relevance in diabetes-related research. Standard analytical methods, including HPLC and spectrophotometry, were employed to quantify alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, organic acids, and glucosides and determine nutritional profiles such as amino acids, proximate composition, vitamins, and minerals. The evaluated plants showed significant variation in their phytochemical constituents and nutritional composition. M. indica exhibited the highest total alkaloid content (51.181 g/100 g), while P. guajava recorded the highest total flavonoid content (31.728 g/100 g). Phenolic constituents were most abundant in V. amygdalina (53.304 g/100 g). In terms of proximate composition, carbohydrate contents ranged from 52.158% to 64.999%, with G. latifolium exhibiting a relatively higher crude protein content (17.086%) and V. amygdalina recording high crude fiber (9.505%). Essential minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Zn) and key vitamins (A, B-complex, C, E, K) were detected at nutritionally relevant levels across all species. The presence of bioactive constituents suggests that these plants may warrant further investigation for diabetes-related bioactivity. In conclusion, these plants represent promising sources of phytochemicals and nutrients that may warrant further investigation for functional food and phytopharmaceutical applications related to diabetes. However, more detailed compound identification and biological analyses are required to elucidate their pharmacological properties and mechanism.