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             Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine                      Vol. 8 Nos. 2-3 May-December 2010 Òˆ˘
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                  Abstract
                       Effects of Medicinal Plant Extracts on Pancreatic Lipase and HMG-CoA reductase
                       Somchit Niumsakul*, Duangpen Pattamadilok*, Nanteetip Limpeanchob**, Kornkanok Ingkaninan**,
                       Prapai Wongsinkongman*
                       *Medicinal Plant Research Institute, Department of Medical Sciences, Nonthaburi 11000
                       **Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000

                           The present study was conducted to screen the potential lipid-lowering effect of medicinal plants. The
                       aim of this research was to perform in vitro assay to determine the inhibitory activity of plant extracts on two
                       enzymes of pancreatic lipase and HMG-CoA reductase that are important for lipid digestion and cholesterol
                       synthesis, respectively.  The pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities were tested with nine Thai medicinal plants,
                       namely Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. leaves, Psidium guajava L. leaves, Tiliacora triandra (Colebr.) Diels leaves,
                       Moringa oleifera Lamk. leaves, Averrhoa bilimbi L. leaves, Garcinia cowa Roxb. ex DC. leaves, Morinda citrifolia
                       L. leaves, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino. roots, and Alpinia galanga (L) Willd rhizomes.
                       The results showed that each crude extract demonstrated different potency inhibitory activities against pan-
                       creatic lipase represented by 50 percent inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ). Then, these crude extracts were fur-
                       ther purified using partition and column chromatography techniques. It was found that the partial purified
                       portion of the ethanolic extract of lotus leaves, N. nucifera Gaertn. (Nn-E3), showed the best activity against
                       the pancreatic lipase enzyme with IC 50  at 36.80 μg/ml. Orlistat was used as a positive control as a pancreatic
                       lipase inhibitor. Crude and partial purified extracts from five Thai medicinal plants, namely N. nucifera leaves,
                       G. cowa leaves, M. citrifolia leaves, P. guajava leaves, and A. bilimbi leaves, showed inhibitory activity against
                       HMG-CoA reductase where pravastatin was used as a positive control.  Among these extracts, the most potent
                       ones were the partial purified portion of the ethanolic extract of G. cowa leaves (GC2) and the partial purified
                       portion of the ethanolic extract of N. nucifera leaves (Nn-E4), which completely inhibited HMG-CoA reduc-
                       tase enzyme (100% inhibition) at 10 μg/ml concentration. The results of this study will be useful to further
                       investigate and identify the active compounds from the potential herbs. Development of herbal products for
                       treatment of patients with hyperlipidemia may be possible in the future.
                       Key words:  Lipid lowering, pancreatic lipase, HMG-CoA reductase
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