Hypoglycemic potential of sugarcane molasses-derived polyphenols: exploring the hypoglycemic mechanisms through in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition and intracellular glucose transport inhibition

Abstract

Sugarcane molasses, a by-product of the sugar manufacturing process, is rich in polyphenols and possesses potential physiological activities. This study aimed to extract and purify polyphenols from sugarcane molasses and assess their hypoglycemic activity through in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition and intracellular glucose transport inhibition assays. Polyphenols were extracted using resin adsorption and further purified via ultrafiltration, yielding a 23.07% polyphenol content. Thirty phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC-MS/MS. The IC₅₀ value of sugarcane polyphenols for α-glucosidase inhibition is 114.1366 mg mL⁻¹. Molecular docking revealed that polyphenols interact with α-glucosidase primarily through hydrogen bonding, with key binding sites at Gln256, Asp327, Arg411 and Phe163. Additionally, evaluation of a Caco-2 cell transmembrane transport model showed that sugarcane polyphenols significantly inhibited glucose transmembrane transport and downregulated the mRNA expression of SGLT1, GLUT2, glucosidase, and sodium–potassium ATPase. These findings suggest that sugarcane molasses is a promising source of polyphenols with potential hypoglycemic activity and provide valuable insights into the mechanism of α-glucosidase and glucose transport inhibition.