Diabetes mellitus is a clinical metabolic syndrome, which has been resulted from the malfunction or insufficiency of insulin production. Diabetes is the major threat to the people in developing and developed country. Prolonged diabetic condition can affect organs and synthetic drug if consumed by the patient can cause side-effects and impaired immune system. The synthetic medicine used for the treatment of diabetes is usually costlier, create side-effects and do not ensure complete recovery from the disorder but on the other hand, medicinal plants create a great impact in the human immune system.
The medicinal plant produces a variety of chemical substances which shows significant therapeutic properties. This study highlights the potential anti-diabetic significance and phytochemical activity of different varieties Piper nigrum (Black pepper) and different strategies used for the assessment of these activities. The piperaceae family consist of 12 genera and more than 1400 species and is one of the largest families and widely distributed across the tropical and sub-tropical regions and over the high ranges of Andes and Sub Himalayas. Piper species naturally have multi-dimensional affect on various parts of the body often mentioned as antipyretic, diuretic, aphrodisiac, immune- stimulant and antioxidant, hepatoprotective, digestive, antiseptic and anti-diabetic. Phytochemical analysis of Methanol and Petroleum -ether extracts was carried out and different plant parts were collected from different districts across Kerala.
Phytochemical which is identified from Piper nigrum present an exciting opportunity for the development of new type of therapeutics for diabetes mellitus. Some anti-diabetic plants exert their action by stimulating the function or number of beta cells and thus increasing insulin production with least side effects. Further investigations are required and more attention should be drawn to explore the biological activity of hundreds of traditionally used plants. Both in-vivo and in-vitro assessment is necessary for the assessment of anti-diabetic properties from the natural resources.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Scope of the study
1.3 Taxonomical classification: Piper nigrum
1.4 Taxonomical classification: Piper betle Linn.
1.5 Taxonomical classification: Piper longeum Linn
2. Review of literature
2.1 Uses and importance
3. Hypothesis
4. Materials and Methods
4.1 Study area
4.2 Sample collection and processing
4.3 Experiment design
4.3.1 Experiment
4.4 Phytochemical screening
4.4.1 Test for tannins
4.4.2 Test for flavonoids
4.4.3 Test for terpenoids
4.4.4 Test for saponins
4.4.5 Test for phlobatannins
4.4.6 Test for carbohydrates
4.4.7 Test for glycosides
4.4.8 Test for coumarins
4.4.9 Test for alkaloids
4.4.10 Test for phenols
4.4.11 Test for emodins
4.4.12 Test for anthraquinones
4.4.13 Test for anthocyanins
4.4.14 Test for leucoanthocyanins
4.5 Determination of the changes in glucose level (Anthrone method)
4.6 Determination of the changes in glucose level (Benedicts test)
4.7 Statistical analysis
5. Results and discussion
5.1 Phytochemical screening
5.2 Glucose reduction tests
6. Conclusions
Research Objective and Scope
This work aims to evaluate the phytochemical composition and the anti-diabetic potential of various plant parts (fruits, leaves, and spikes) from multiple cultivars of Piper nigrum, Piper longum, and Piper betel using methanol and petroleum ether extracts to assess their glucose-lowering efficacy.
- Comparative analysis of different Piper species and their respective plant parts.
- Phytochemical screening to identify bioactive secondary metabolites.
- Assessment of glucose-lowering activity using Anthrone and Benedict’s testing methods.
- Evaluation of the influence of solvent extraction types and concentrations on therapeutic efficacy.
- Documentation of morphological and taxonomical characteristics of the selected varieties.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) the flowering wine belongs to the family piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as spice and seasoning. Morphological characters like plant habit, pubescence, texture and leaf shape of juvenile and mature forms, orientation of the spike and length of peduncle, nature of bract and fruit colour are used as key distinguish different species (Hooker,1886; Kanjilal et al.,1940; Gamble et al., 1925). Piperaceae is considered to be one of the most primitive families of Angiosperms (Engler, 1893; Rendle, 1925) derived from the herbaceous proto-angiosperms with simple, minute flowers (Heywood and Fleming, 1986; Taylor and Hickery, 1990; Taylor and Hickery, 1992).
Piperaceae is the large family consisting of herbs, shrubs and lianas (Sen et al., 2016; Jaramillo, 2001). The Piperaceae family consists of 12 genera and more than 1400 species (Trivedi et al., 2011) and is one of the largest families and widely distributed across the tropical and sub-tropical regions and over the high ranges of Andes and Sub Himalayas. In genus Piper more than 1000 are included, from which 110 are of the Indian origin (Parthasarathy, 2006; Chakraborty and shah, 2011). The largest germplasm conservatory is situated in IISR, Kozhikode (Ravindran, 2000). Piper betle, Piper longum and Piper cubeba are some the species which are economically important and used in indigenous medicine system and belong to the genus Piper of the family Piperaceae (Parthasarathy et al., 2006).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Provides an overview of the Piperaceae family, the economic and medicinal importance of various Piper species, and sets the foundation for the comparative study.
2. Review of literature: Summarizes existing knowledge regarding morphological variability, traditional medicinal uses of pepper, and the physiological relevance of diabetes mellitus.
3. Hypothesis: Outlines the expected outcomes regarding the phytochemical variations and anti-diabetic potential across different solvent extracts and plant parts.
4. Materials and Methods: Details the study area, sampling collection, processing of plant materials, and the specific chemical protocols used for phytochemical and glucose reduction analysis.
5. Results and discussion: Presents the findings of the phytochemical screening and glucose reduction tests, discussing the effectiveness of various extracts.
6. Conclusions: Synthesizes the research findings, highlighting the potential of Piper species for future development of anti-diabetic drugs and natural therapeutics.
Keywords
Piper nigrum, Piper longum, Piper betel, phytochemical analysis, anti-diabetic, glucose reduction, Anthrone method, Benedict’s test, medicinal plants, traditional medicine, metabolic syndrome, secondary metabolites, solvent extraction, Kerala, plant extracts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on assessing the phytochemical constituents and the anti-diabetic potential of different plant parts (fruits, leaves, and spikes) from black pepper (Piper nigrum) varieties in comparison with Piper longum and Piper betel.
Which plant species were examined?
The study examines Piper nigrum (including varieties such as Karimunda, Kotta, and Narayakodi), Piper longum, and Piper betel.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The primary objective is to detect changes in glucose levels when treated with different plant extracts and to determine the presence of bioactive phytochemicals using standardized chemical screening tests.
What scientific methods were employed?
The researchers utilized qualitative phytochemical screening techniques and quantitative assessment of glucose-lowering activity using the Anthrone method and Benedict’s test, with statistical analysis performed via SPSS and Sigma Plot.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the taxonomy, pharmacological relevance, detailed chemical test procedures for various metabolites (such as tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids), and the comparative efficacy of different solvents (methanol vs. petroleum ether).
What are the key descriptive characteristics of this work?
The work is characterized by its comparative focus on plant parts, the use of two different solvents for analysis, and the documentation of variety-specific traits in the context of therapeutic potential.
Why were these specific plant parts chosen for investigation?
The study investigates fruits, leaves, and spikes because these parts are traditionally used in indigenous medicinal systems and are hypothesized to harbor different concentrations of bioactive metabolites.
How did the researchers determine the glucose-lowering capacity?
They measured the optical density of the samples after treating them with Benedict's reagent and the Anthrone method, observing color changes and concentration shifts to estimate sugar reduction capacity.
Which variety showed the most significant efficacy in glucose regulation?
According to the results, the spike of the Narayakodi variety demonstrated high efficacy in regulating glucose levels due to its diverse phytochemical profile.
What is the significance of the conclusion regarding pharmacological applications?
The conclusion suggests that the isolated bioactive compounds from these Piper species represent a viable natural resource for developing safer, cost-effective drugs to manage chronic disorders like diabetes.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Prem Jose Vazhacharickal (Author), Sajeshkumar N.K (Author), Jiby John Mathew (Author), Annie Babu (Author), 2017, Phytochemical and anti-diabetic activities of different plant part extracts among black pepper (Piper nigrum) varieties in comparison with Piper longum and Piper betel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/370191
