Acarbose is an organic compound with the chemical formula C25H43NO18. It is an alpha glucosidase inhibitor and a complex oligosaccharide with a structure similar to oligosaccharides. This non oligosaccharide "pseudo oligosaccharide" can compete with oligosaccharides at the brush edge of the upper cells of the small intestine and reversibly bind with alpha glucosidase, inhibiting the activity of various alpha glucosidase enzymes such as maltase, isomaltase, glucoamylase, and sucrase. It breaks down starch into oligosaccharides such as maltose (disaccharides), maltotriose, and dextrin (oligosaccharides), which slows down the rate of glucose decomposition into glucose and fructose. As a result, it slows down the absorption of glucose in the intestine and alleviates postprandial hyperglycemia. The effect of lowering blood sugar.
