Furthermore, other crude extracts significantly inhibiting in vitro the possibility of lowering postprandial glucose were assessed.
Medicinal plants are widely used in nonindustrialized societies and developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America because they are cheaper and more accessible than modern drugs. Medicinal and food plants that are traditionally used as dietary adjuvants to improve health have been evaluated, interalia, for their blood glucose lowering potential, both in vitro and in vivo. The main aim was to preevaluate the extracts or the respective carbohydrate fractions for any potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro. An additional aim was to confirm the inhibitory potential of the new raw materials in vivo. Furthermore, other crude extracts significantly inhibiting in vitro the possibility of lowering postprandial glucose were assessed. It is expected that further scientific research can confirm the rationality of selected species of food and medicinal plants as potential dietary additives.