Comparative Evaluation of the Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Properties, and Antidiabetic Effects of N-Butanol Extracts of Ficus exasperata Leaf and Nigella sativa Oil in Diabetic Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus, and plant-based antioxidants have shown potential in diabetes management. Research has demonstrated the ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities of Ficus exasperata and Nigella sativa oil in ameliorating various health conditions. This study evaluated and compared the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antidiabetic effects of n-butanol extracts of Ficus exasperata leaf and Nigella sativa oil. The extracts in vitro antioxidant properties were assessed through total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, while the antidiabetic effects were evaluated by measuring glucose levels and total thiol concentrations in diabetic flies treated with n-butanol extracts of Ficus exasperata and Nigella sativa oil in vivo. Both extracts exhibited significant antioxidant activity and effectively reduced hyperglycemia while restoring total thiol levels with the n-butanol extract of Ficus exasperata offering the best effects characterized by higher phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The Nigella sativa oil showed greater ferric reducing antioxidant power. The higher phenolic contents, DPPH radical inhibition, and restoration of total thiol concentration and significant reduction of glucose level demonstrated by the n-butanol fraction of Ficus exasperata, makes it the recommended fraction for further therapeutic exploration. Future studies should focus on isolation and characterization of its active compounds and assess long-term efficacy and safety in more comprehensive models.