Antidiabetic Potential of Aronia melanocarpa–β-Glucan System: From Extraction Optimization Through In Silico Understanding of Activity to Stabilization of Anthocyanins

Aronia melanocarpa is a rich source of anthocyanins with well-documented antioxidant and antidiabetic potential; however, their application is limited by low stability. In this study, extraction conditions were optimized using response surface methodology, with the highest total polyphenol content obtained at an ethanol concentration of 36.9% (v/v), an extraction temperature of 34.1 °C, and a solvent-to-solid ratio of 54.5 mL/g. The extract exhibited antioxidant activity and inhibited α-amylase in vitro, with an IC50 value of 3.18 ± 0.27 mg/mL, compared with 6.76 ± 0.21 mg/mL for acarbose under the same assay conditions. Molecular modeling suggested that cyanidin derivatives may play a major role in the observed α-amylase inhibitory activity. The optimized extract was subsequently incorporated into yeast-derived β-glucan systems at different ratios to improve anthocyanin stability and formulation performance. Incorporation of β-glucan significantly modified dissolution behavior and reduced anthocyanin degradation in a ratio-dependent manner. The highest stabilization effect was observed for the aronia: β-glucan 1:2 system, in which the degradation rate decreased approximately 4.7-fold.