Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Antidiabetic Properties of Chalcones
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Chemistry, Pre-Medical
Minor
Biology and Business Administration
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Grace Eder
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin dysfunction thereby creating the impaired ability to maintain proper levels of glucose in the blood. It is estimated that there are 463 million individuals globally who are currently living with diabetes, which accounts for 6.28% of the world’s population. The number of people living with diabetes is expected to rise to 578 million by 2030. With the rapid growth of diabetes in countries across the globe, there is a more pressing need to remove strain from the healthcare systems and develop novel drugs to control the increase. There are currently existing medicinal treatments that help to slow or improve the diabetic management of individuals, but the pharmaceutical sciences are going to continue to look for more ways these can be improved upon due to the advances in technology and the reevaluation of conventional methodologies. One particular focus is chalcones, which are small organic molecules. These are candidates that have been reported to show potential inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, which lowers the necessity for insulin, or α-amylase, which is responsible for postprandial glucose levels. In this study, we plan to synthesize the chalcones and their derivatives and measure their solubilities by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to help identify chalcone structures that could be drug candidates with anti-diabetic properties. By furthering the research of chalcones as drug candidates for anti-diabetic medicinal treatments, the expansion of options for diabetic patients will improve and advance the future of healthcare treatments.
Spring Scholars Week 2023 Event
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Antidiabetic Properties of Chalcones
Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin dysfunction thereby creating the impaired ability to maintain proper levels of glucose in the blood. It is estimated that there are 463 million individuals globally who are currently living with diabetes, which accounts for 6.28% of the world’s population. The number of people living with diabetes is expected to rise to 578 million by 2030. With the rapid growth of diabetes in countries across the globe, there is a more pressing need to remove strain from the healthcare systems and develop novel drugs to control the increase. There are currently existing medicinal treatments that help to slow or improve the diabetic management of individuals, but the pharmaceutical sciences are going to continue to look for more ways these can be improved upon due to the advances in technology and the reevaluation of conventional methodologies. One particular focus is chalcones, which are small organic molecules. These are candidates that have been reported to show potential inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, which lowers the necessity for insulin, or α-amylase, which is responsible for postprandial glucose levels. In this study, we plan to synthesize the chalcones and their derivatives and measure their solubilities by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to help identify chalcone structures that could be drug candidates with anti-diabetic properties. By furthering the research of chalcones as drug candidates for anti-diabetic medicinal treatments, the expansion of options for diabetic patients will improve and advance the future of healthcare treatments.