The Rio Grande Valley of Texas, with its predominating Hispanic population, has a deep connection with  traditional medicine, specifically the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of a multitude of illnesses such as diabetes. With the high incidence of many life-threatening diseases in these low-income communities, pharmaceutical treatment is not always an option. Alternative medicine does not always guarantee a cure to certain diseases, but are used to reduce symptom severity. Mango leaves have traditionally been used in the treatment of diabetes in the form of an infusion, and its therapeutic effects are widely praised by the population in this region of Texas. Our research is concentrated in the detection of compounds that may be involved in the antidiabetic properties of the extracts.    <br/>Biochemical analysis of mango extracts is currently being done by using both quantitative and qualitative biochemical techniques. The techniques used include the ninhydrin test for amino acid determination, the Biuret assay for protein identification, the Benedict’s and Phenol/sulfuric acid tests for any carbohydrate content, and TLC chromatography with UV-visible spectrophotometry to detect antioxidants in the extract. Future techniques include SDS Electrophoresis with protein detection by Coomassie brilliant blue and silver stain, preparative and high performance column chromatography of the extract, extract’s DNA isolation and characterization, as well as enzymatic assays of this extract.

Biochemical analysis of Mangifera indica (mango leaves): A potential treatment in subsiding symptoms of diabetes

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