A double blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study of Salacia Chinensis, with alpha‐glucosidase inhibitor properties, on post‐prandial glycemia.

Alpha‐glucosidase inhibitors are used as antidiabetic agents to slow carbohydrate absorption. We examined a medicinal plant, Salacia, with known α‐glucosidase inhibitor properties. In this clinical trial, we measured glycemic indices after a mixed meal tolerance test in healthy overweight/obese individuals. We randomized 51 subjects (BMI: 28.7 ± 3.5 kg/m 2 ; 58% female) to Salacia Chinensis (SC) extract (300 mg and 500 mg dose) and placebo in random order using a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, 3‐way cross‐over design. After an overnight fast, participants consumed a dose of SC or placebo along with a fixed breakfast meal (275 kcal; 50% carbohydrate; 30% fat; 20% protein). Serum was collected, and satiety and taste perception were measured using a visual analog scale before and after the meal (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 minutes). Forty‐eight individuals with (age 33±12 y) completed the trial. After the meal, the peak serum glucose levels were lower, at either dose, compared to placebo (p < 0.05). In addition, the positive incremental area under the curve (iAUC+) of glucose was reduced by 32% at the 300mg dose compared to placebo (p < 0.05). One hour after the meal, the concentrations of amylin were lower (p < 0.05) and glucose‐like peptide‐1 tended to be higher compared to placebo (p < 0.06). Thus far, serum insulin was measured in a subset (n=29) and treatment suppressed iAUC+ compared to placebo (p < 0.05). This study shows that SC lowers postprandial serum glycemic indices in overweight/obese participants. Support or Funding Information OmniActive Health Technologies Ltd, Canada