Date of Project
4-30-2026
Document Type
Honors Thesis
School Name
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Biology
Major Advisor
Dr. Savita Chaurasia
Second Advisor
Dr. Saurin Sutaria
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, which both results from and contributes to metabolic dysregulation. Hyperglycemia can incur oxidative stress on cells, resulting in cell dysfunction and increased hyperglycemia. Prolonged periods of hyperglycemia can cause issues with the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Eriodictyon californicum, or Yerba Santa, is a plant used by the Native Americans to treat respiratory illness. The crude extract of Yerba Santa is shown to have a high phytochemical content and subsequently antioxidant properties. It has also been shown to inhibit PTP1B in the insulin pathway. In this study, Yerba Santa extracts were fractionated based on polarity and evaluated for potential antidiabetic activity. Enzyme inhibition assays demonstrated that both crude and fractionated Yerba Santa extracts inhibited alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase activity, supporting the potential of Yerba Santa as a source of antidiabetic compounds.
Recommended Citation
Askin, Adrien, "Evaluation of Eriodictyon californicum as an Inhibitor of Alpha Amylase and Alpha Glucosidase" (2026). Undergraduate Theses. 232.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/ugrad_theses/232