Anti-diabetic activity of silver nanoparticles prepared from cumin oil using alpha amylase inhibitory assay

Abstract

Studies suggest that cumin oil have many health and cosmetic benefits such as weight loss, improving skin conditions and also treating cancer and diabetes. People have used these tiny black seeds of N. sativa as a natural remedy for thousands of years. Cumin oil contains thymoquinone, which is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory compound having tumor-reducing properties therefore useful in treating cancer. Plant mediated biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles has been gaining importance due to its simplicity and eco-friendliness. The aim of the present study was to prepare cumin oil mediated silver nanoparticles and evaluate it for its anti-diabetic activity using alpha amylase inhibitory assay. The green synthesised cumin oil mediated silver nanoparticles were prepared using 1mM silver nitrate. The anti-diabetic activity was evaluated by alpha amylase inhibitory assay. The formation of the nanoparticles was confirmed both by visual colour change as well as by scanning the absorbance by UV-Visible spectrophometer between 300 nm to 700 nm. In the present study, cumin oil mediated silver nanoparticles inhibited alpha amylase in a dose dependent manner. Hence, these nanoparticles may be used for control post prandial hyperglycemia.