Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Eucommia ulmoides Bark

Eucommia ulmoides bark extracts by cold water, boiling water, 100% EtOH, 70% EtOH, 100% MeOH, 70% MeOH and $CHCl_3$ were assayed for their medicinal effects. The antioxidant activity of the extracts ranged from $IC_{50}$ 125.2 to $IC_{50}\;872.7{\mu}g/ml$ in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) free radical-scavenging assay, and cold water extracts had the highest antioxidant activity. $CHCl_3$ extracts had the highest inhibitory effect on angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) giving inhibition of up to 56.4% at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Extracts in 100% EtOH had the greatest inhibitory effect on $\acute{a}-amylase$ activity ($IC_{50}=174.6{\mu}g/ml$), and 70% MeOH extracts had the greatest inhibitory effect on ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ activity ($IC_{50}=14.0{\mu}g/ml$). Taken together, these results provided the in vitro evidence on the ACE, amylase and glucosidase inhibitory actions of E. ulmoides bark that form the pharmacological basis for its antihypertensive and antidiabetic action.