Over the years, there has been research on the anti-obesity effect of the Allium cepa bulb, but a dearth of research was carried out on the leaves, which is consumed as vegetable salad and soup, hence this study was proposed.
This study aims at investigating the effect of A. cepa leaves on high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity in male Wistar rats.
Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups with seven rats each. Apart from Group 1 (normal control which received normal pelleted diet), obesity was induced in 21 rats of Group 2 to 4 with HFD. Group 2, the obese control was administered with 100% HFD, while the diet for group 3 and 4 was supplemented with 10% and 20% A. cepa powdered leaves, respectively, for 28 days.
In the rats treated with 10% and 20% A. cepa, body weight, fat mass, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, creatinine and urea levels were reduced significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison with the obese control group. The liver of the rats treated with 10% and 20% A. cepa leaves revealed small and few amounts of fat deposits in comparison with the obese control group, which revealed numerous and large deposits of fat. The kidney of the rats treated with 10% and 20% A. cepa leaves showed moderate and mild inflammation, respectively, in comparison with the obese control group which showed acute inflammation. The leaves of A. cepa had antioxidant properties and the presence of volatile compounds with anti-obesity properties in A. cepa were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
A. cepa leaves had weight-loss effect in that it decreased body weight, fat mass, glucose and lipid levels including fat deposits in the liver.
Blumea lacera (Family Asteraceae) is a herb found in the uncultivated lands of many Asian countries. This plant is used by quack doctors for some medicinal purposes.
Works presented in this manuscript were conducted on the ethanol extract of aerial parts of B. lacera. Various pharmacological tests like antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, diuretic, antibacterial, anthelmintic and toxicological tests like brine shrimp lethality and acute toxicity were evaluated.
Antioxidant test was conducted by determining secondary metabolites content and DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Acetic acid-induced writhing method, xylene-induced ear edema method, castor oil-induced diarrheal method, and urinary volume test were performed to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal and diuretic effects, respectively. The antibacterial test was performed by disk diffusion method, anthelmintic activity by recording the paralysis and death time of P. cervi and finally, cytotoxic activity was performed by brine shrimp lethality bioassay.
TPC, TFC and TTC contents of B. lacera extract were found to be 9 mg GAE/g, 31 mg QE/g and 18 mg GAE/g. The SC50 value of the DPPH radical scavenging assay was found to be higher than 3000 µg·mL-1. The LD50 value of B. lacera extract in mice was higher than 5000 mg·kg-1. This extract significantly inhibited writhing reflexes by 24.5% and 43.6% and reduced ear edema up to 24.6% and 41% at 250 and 500 mg·kg-1 bw doses, respectively. It also increased the latency of the first defecation period up to 52.8 min and 106.6 min as well as decreased the stool count by 34.1% and 48.2% at 250 and 500 mg·kg-1 bw doses, respectively. It also showed an increase in urinary output in the diuretic test. Good antibacterial activity of B. lacera extract was confirmed by retardation in bacterial growth and significantly killed P. cervi in a dose-dependent manner. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the LC50 value was found to be 5.4 µg·mL-1.
B. lacera showed mild analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal properties. It could be used as a diuretic, antibacterial, anthelmintic and cytotoxic drug which justify the plant's traditional uses in folk medicine.
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