# Functional Properties of Fruits of Common Medlar (_Mespilus germanica_ L.) Extract
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Antidiabetic Activity  
Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health threat across the globe. \(\upalpha\)-Amylase and \(\upalpha\)-glucosidase are the main enzymes involved in the breakdown of sugars in the human body [39]. Inhibitors of these enzymes are potential targets in the development of lead compounds for the treatment of diabetes [40]. They help reduce postprandial hyperglycemia and slow down carbohydrate digestion in people with diabetes [41]. The results in Table 3 show that modular extract (MFE), methanolic fraction (MF), and water fraction (WF), at a concentration of 20 mg/mL DMSO, inhibit \(\alpha\)-amylase activity 100% with respect to acarbose. At a concentration of 10 mg/mL, MFE inhibits the enzyme 61%, while at a concentration of 5 mg/mL, it inhibits it by 47%. Even at low concentrations, MFE shows an inhibition of 15%. MF also shows an inhibitory effect on \(\alpha\)-amylase. At a concentration of 1 mg/mL, it inhibits the enzyme by 26%, or a concentration of 5 mg/mL in 27%, and at 10 mg/mL by 31%. WF has the highest antidiabetic activity compared to the other fractions. At a concentration of 10 mg/mL, it inhibits the enzyme by 79%, at a concentration of 5 mg/mL in 52%, and at a concentration of 1 mg/mL by 35%. In the treatment of diabetes, therapies are used to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia. They work by inhibiting \(\alpha\)-amylase and \(\alpha\)-glucosidase, which are important enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion. Plant foods that are rich in polyphenols have been shown to produce effects similar to drugs, which act as \(\alpha\)-amylase and \(\alpha\)-glucosidase inhibitors. Studies have shown that the bioactivity of polyphenols in plants is related to their antioxidant activity and, in addition, many of these plants also have hypoglycaemic properties [42]. A study by [PERSON] et al. [43] showed that extracts from Indonesian plants, including _Camelia sinensis, Pometia pinnata, Persea Americana_, inhibit both \(\alpha\)-amylase and \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Material** & **ABTS** & **FRAP** \\ \hline Fruit extract (MFE) & 187.56 \(\pm\) 15.76 b,c & 82.35 \(\pm\) 10.23 c \\ Methanolic fraction (MF) & 245.31 \(\pm\) 50.42 a & 137.13 \(\pm\) 9.87 a \\ Water fraction (WF) & 194.28 \(\pm\) 55.85 b & 101.25 \(\pm\) 8.14 b \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Mean values with different letters (a–c) within the same column were statistically different (\(p<0.05\)), the same letters form one homogeneous group. Values expressed as mean \(\pm\) standard deviation.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: The antioxidant activity: Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity defined as the concentration of Trolox (\(\mu\)m) with the same activity as 1 g of the tested dry extract (ABTS and FRAP method). Figure 2: Extraction procedure to obtain concentrated methanolic (MF) and water (WF) fractions of medlar fruit extract (MFE). \(\alpha\)-glucosidaseate better than acarbose. According to a study by [PERSON] et al. [44], many types of natural products that contain terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenols have shown antidiabetic potential. In particular, the presence of compounds such as corosolic acid (Glucosol(tm)), 4-(\(\alpha\)-rhamnopyranosyl)ellagic acid, and 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyglucose showed significant antidiabetic activity. At present, many natural products and herbal medicines have been recommended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Delaying the digestion of complex sugars to simple sugars by inhibiting \(\alpha\)-amylase and \(\alpha\)-glucosidase is one therapeutic option for controlling postprandial hyperglycemia in prediabetes and diabetes [45; 46]. The inhibition of postprandial hyperglycemia dealys micro- and macrovascular complications such as microangiopathy, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease [47]. Natural preparations are available, for example, from white mulberry (_Morus alba_), common bean (_Phaseolus vulgarisenz_) and ginkgo (_Ginkgo biloba_), and recommended to counteract type 2 diabetes.