Chebulagic acid is a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor

Chebulagic acid, isolated form Terminalia chebula Retz, proved to be a reversible and non-competitive inhibitor of maltase with a K-i value of 6.6 mu m. The inhibitory influence of chebulagic acid on the maltase-glucoamylase complex was more potent than on the sucrase-isomaltase complex. The magnitude of alpha-glucosidase inhibition by chebulagic acid was greatly affected by its origin. These results show a use for chebulagic acid in managing type-2 diabetes.