Volume10,Issue9

Many species of the genus Eulophia from family Orchidaceae are used as excellent health-promoting agent, in traditional medicine to treat diarrhoea, stomach pain, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, asthma, bronchitis, gynaecological problems, paralysis, cough, anaemia, piles, impotency, tuberculosis, epilepsy, blood purification. Phytochemical investigation has been carried out qualitatively as well as quantitatively on tuber powder and extracts of Eulophia herbacea and Eulophia ochreata prepared in different solvents. The order of % of extracts obtained in different solvents is water > methanol > benzene > chloroform > petroleum ether for E. herbacea as well as E. ochreata. Secondary metabolites like phytosterol, mucilage, phenol, proanthocyanidine and flavonoid have been detected in both the test plant extracts. β-sitosterol has been isolated and purified from methanolic extract of both the plants using TLC, HPLC and spectroscopically, however β-sitosterol is more in E. ochreata than E. herbacea. Both the Eulophia species have been found to possess significant radical scavenging activity against 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). IC₅₀ value of E. herbacea and E. ochreata was found to be 51.04 µg/ml and 50.13µg/ml respectively. Further validation of antioxidant potential of β-sitosterol confirmed its in vitro antioxidant property through DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing power properties.The medicinal property of Eulophia may be attributed due to the presence of phenol, flavonoids and β-sitosterol with profound antioxidant potential. The therapeutic effect of this plant may be accounted for its counteracting action on free radicals in vivo.

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. One of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study was to determine the inhibition of HMG-CoA Reductase enzyme activity of Carica papaya (Carica papaya L.) ethanol extract to decrease cholesterol levels in the blood. Methods: This study was performed on 24 male Wistar rats aged two months weighing 200-250 g randomly divided into 6 groups, that was group 1 (negative control group), group 2 (the positive control group), group 3 (Simvastatin 0.9 mg /kg), and group 4-6 (extract at a dose of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). All groups, except group 1, received drinking water containing 25% D-Fructose for 21 days. On day 21, each group was measured for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides levels in the blood. The rats were sacrificed and its liver was isolated for HMG CoA reductase activity measurement. Results: The results showed that papaya leaves extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol. The IC50 of ethanol extract of papaya leaves as HMG CoA reductase inhibitor was 243 mg/kg. Conclusions: Based on these results it could be concluded that the ethanol extract of papaya leaves (Carica papaya L.) had antihyperlipidemic activity, one of its mechanism action was inhibiting the activity of HMG CoA reductase, the enzyme that plays a role in the synthesis of endogenous cholesterol.