Background and Objectives: Post-meal hyperglycemic control is considered as an important strategy in management of type II diabetes, and the reduction of chronic complications associated with the disease. Thus inhibitors of carbohydrate degrading enzymes could be useful in the treatment of type II diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of some traditional medicine in Sulaymaniyah /Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods: Eight plant species were prepared with advisory from authentic spiceries in Sulaymaniyah. After preparation of their methanolic extracts. Enzyme assay was conducted in four different extract concentrations including (1, 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 mg/ml) for all plant samples. Findings: The leaf extract of Rubus idaeus L., root extract of Rheum ribes R. and leaf extract of Salix alba L. had the highest inhibitory activities toward α-glucosidase. Leaf extract of Rubus idaeus L. showed 99.13% inhibitory effect with IC50 of 0.046 mg/ml, root extract of Rheum ribes R. showed 95.39% inhibitory effect with IC50 of 0.085 mg/ml, and leaf extract of Salix alba L. showed 85.46% inhibitory effect with IC50 = 0.046 mg/ml. Rubus idaeus L., Rheum ribes R. extracts showed mixed type of inhibition (U-N) while Salix alba L. showed uncompetitive inhibition. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that leaves extract from both Rubus idaeus L., Salix alba L. and roots extract of Rheum ribes R. could be used as remarkable α-glucosidase inhibitors, and after clinical tests being used to reduce postprandial blood glucose level elevation in type II diabetics.
