BODY WEIGHT LOSS IN RATS BY THE LEAVES OF ABRUS PRECATORIUS LINNAEUS AND THE POSSIBLE MECHANISM INVOLVED THEREIN
Tanaya Ghosh
Department of Medical Biotechnology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Prasenjit Mitra
Department of Biochemistry,Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Dilip Kumar Jha
Department of Physiology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Prasanta Kumar Mitra
Department of Medical Biotechnology, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Recently we have seen that Abrus precatorius Linnaeus leaves could exert body weight loss in mate albino rats. Body weight loss started from 20th day and was maximum on 40th day. To know the underline mechanism of the body weight loss, male albino rats were divided into two groups. First group of animals took normal diet while the second group took a mixture of normal diet and powdered leaves of Abrus precatorius L. In both the two groups of animals blood pyruvate level, intestinal pyruvate dehydrogenase and transketolase activity were measured on 20th and 40th days of experiment. Results showed that blood pyruvate level was elevated and intestinal pyrvate dehydrogenase activity was lowered. Pyruvate thus could not be converted to acetyl coenzyme A needed for generation of energy. Lack of energy caused growth inhibition in rats. Further, intestinal transketolase activity was found decreased. Due to this in pentose phosphate pathway there was insufficient production of NADPH and pentose sugars needed for synthesis of nucleic acid. This also caused body weight loss in rats.
5 , 2 , 2015
52 - 57