antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of sea urchin echinometra mathaei from the persian gulf

Background: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the inhibition of α-glucosidase and antioxidant properties of different tissues of sea urchin echinometra mathaei.methods: α-glucosidase inhibition was determined using p-nitrophenyl-a-dglucopyranoside as a substrate, and the antioxidant properties were evaluated by 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (abts),1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (dpph), and nitric oxide radicals scavenging. also, antioxidant potential was evaluated by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (frap) method. results: among the studied tissues, the highest α-glucosidase inhibition was revealed by the ethyl acetate extract of the shell and aristotle’s lantern (ic50= 3.7 and 4 mg/ml, respectively). shell had the highest abts (ic50= 183) and dpph (ic50= 208 μg/ml) radicals scavenging, respectively. and, gonad had the highest antioxidant potential by the frap method (1140 μg asa/mg) and no radical scavenging (70.68%), respectively. conclusion: antidiabetic potentials of the ethyl acetate extracts of sea urchin tissues suggest that these extracts can be used as antidiabetic drugs.