Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 2, Issue 9 | September 2013 | 648–655
has a significant glucose lowering effect compared with standard hypoglycaemic agents. Vinaykumar et al. (2010) concluded that the possible mechanism for an anti-obesity effect of G. sylvestre extract may be via suppression of levels of leptin, insulin, dyslipidemia, apolipoproteins, lipids, visceral fat pad weights, and oxidative stress in obese rats fed with high fat diet. Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus) (family: Apocynaceae) It is prostrate or semi-erect shrub. It is distributed throughout India. Indian Sarsaparilla is used in traditional medicine as one of the Rasayana plants of Ayurveda, for its anabolic effect. Rasayana plants are characteristically anabolic in nature they stimulate protein synthesis and other metabolic activities. The roots of the plant are woody, sweet in taste and possess cooling effect. Roots are one of the well known drugs in the Ayurvedic system of medicine (Gayathri Mahalingam, Krishnan Kannabiran, 2009). Cell culture extract of H.indicus (2, 4 and 16 mg/kg, p.o) showed significant treatment reduction (p<0.01) of lipid levels in serum of rats which received atherogenic diet for first 30 (l−30) days. When atherogenic diet and cell culture extract were given together for 60 (l−60) days there was significant (p<0.01) reduction of lipid in liver, heart and serum fecal excretion of cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly increased (p<0.01 in rats fed with cell culture extract (Bopanna K. N et al., 1997). Roselle (Hibiscus Malvaceae)
sabdariffa)
(family:
It is an annual/Perennial shrub. It is native ofWest Indies and is now cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Assam and Tamil Nadu (Gautam RD, 2004). Hibiscus acid and its 6-methyl ester were respectively isolated as active principles from the 50% methanol and acetone extracts of rosella tea. Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside,
kaempferol-3-O-glucopyranoside, quercetin, 3O-rutinoside were isolated from 70% aqueous ethanol extract of leaves (Akiyoshi S et al., 2005). A total daily dose of 100 mg Hibiscus sabdariffa extract powder (HSEP) was orally administered in capsules for one month. Total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, VLDL-c, triglycerides, glucose, urea, creatinine, AST, and ALT levels in the blood were determined in all individuals pre- and post-treatment. The metabolic syndrome (MeSy) patients treated with HSEP had significantly reduced glucose and total cholesterol levels, increased HDL-c levels, and an improved TAG/HDL-c ratio. Therefore, use of HSEP in individuals with dyslipidemia associated with MeSy (GurrolaDíaz CM et al., 2010). Aqueous extract of dried calyces of H. sabdariffa at 0.8 ml/kg body weight showed significant decrease in plasma glucose and cholesterol in rats fed with 99% growers mash and 1% cholesterol. Same results were obtained when rats were subjected to an aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa and Zingiber officinale at 1 ml/Kg body weight. Extracts of H. sabdariffa and Z. officinale apart from being hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic, they control blood sugar especially in those prone to diabetes mellitus (Agoreyo F. O et al., 2008). CONCLUSION We roofed only ten plants in this review. Many more plants are there which have effect not only on obesity but on every possible disorder. Present review summarizes various plant derived extracts which are widely prescribed worldwide and are considered natural, safe and beneficial for the treatment of obesity. The potential of natural products to treat obesity is still largely unexplored and might provide an excellent alternative strategy for the development of safe and effective antiobesity drugs. However biotechnology provides methods to try the possibility of enhancing the natural level of desired active principle in intact plant itself. This may open a new window for rewarding research to biotechnologists.
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||