Preparation of O/W nano-emulsion containing nettle and fenugreek extract and cumin essential oil for evaluating antidiabetic properties

Abstract

Abstract The oil-in-water (O/W) nano-emulsion (NE) is expanded to enhance the bioavailability of hydrophobic compounds. The NE can be prepared by herbal extract and essential oil as herbal medicines for antidiabetic treatment. In the present study, the O/W NE was prepared by fenugreek extract (FE), nettle extract (NE), and cumin essential oil (CEO) using tween 80 and span 80 surfactants in an ultrasonic bath, at room temperature within 18 min. The antidiabetic property was evaluated by determining glucose absorption using cultured rat L6 myoblast cell line (L6) myotubes and insulin secretion using the cultured mouse pancreatic beta-cell (RIN-5) for NEs. The samples were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) to examine the size distribution and size, zeta potential for the charge determination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate morphology and size. The rheological properties were studied by viscosity. The sample stability was evaluated at different temperatures and days by DLS and SEM analyses. The cytotoxicity of samples was explored by MTT assay for HEK293 human cell line as a specific cell line originally derived from human embryonic kidney cells at three different concentrations for three periods of time. The NEs with nanometer-size were observed with antidiabetic properties, low cytotoxicity, and suitable stability. This study provides definitive evidence for the NE as a plant medicine with antidiabetic properties. The NE can be a good candidate for biomedical applications.

Keywords

• Nano-emulsion
• Aqueous extract
• Nettle
• Fenugreek
• Cumin essential oil