{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:45:24Z","timestamp":1785422724734,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001321","name":"National Research Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["MND210801627954"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MND210801627954"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001321","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["MND210801627954"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MND210801627954"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01xpa3123","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CIMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Momordica balsamina L. is widely used in traditional medicine for the management of diabetes in South Africa and globally. This study evaluated the in vitro antidiabetic and cytotoxic effects of M. balsamina leaf extracts and identified bioactive compounds potentially responsible for its activity. Methods: Leaves were sequentially extracted using solvents of increasing polarity. Phytochemical composition was determined using standard colorimetric assays, while gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC\u2013MS) was employed for compound identification. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using dot blot, DPPH radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and ferric reducing power assays. Antidiabetic potential was assessed using \u03b1-amylase, \u03b1-glucosidase, and \u03b2-glucosidase inhibitory assays, with acarbose as the reference drug. Cytotoxicity was determined by using the MTT assay on Vero and HEK-293 cell lines. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides, and steroids. GC\u2013MS analysis identified compounds associated with antidiabetic activity, including vanillin, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, oleic acid, phytol, and hexadecenoic acid. All extracts exhibited antioxidant activity, with the ethyl acetate extract showing the strongest effect. Enzyme inhibition was concentration dependent. The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts showed stronger \u03b1-amylase inhibition (IC50 = 0.149 and 0.146 mg\/mL) than acarbose (0.209 mg\/mL). For \u03b1-glucosidase, acarbose showed the highest activity, while extracts displayed moderate inhibition. In \u03b2-glucosidase assays, both extracts were more active than acarbose. Both extracts were non-cytotoxic up to 500 \u00b5g\/mL. Conclusions: These findings support the traditional use of M. balsamina and highlight its potential as a safe source of antidiabetic agents, warranting further investigation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cimb48050503","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T11:53:10Z","timestamp":1779191590000},"page":"503","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Phytochemical Analysis, GC-MS Chemical Profiling, and In Vitro Antidiabetic Evaluation of South African Momordica balsamina Linn Leaf Extracts and Its Effects on Oxidative Stress Modulation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"48","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3915-160X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Buang","family":"Matseke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria 0204, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9960-5565","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Tswaledi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science and Technology, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria 0204, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8178-1221","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kokoette","family":"Bassey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria 0204, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515647","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/515647","article-title":"Evaluation of traditional Indian antidiabetic medicinal plants for human pancreatic amylase inhibitory effect in vitro","volume":"2011","author":"Ponnusamy","year":"2011","journal-title":"Evid. 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