Abstract:
Obesity has become an important public health problem in the world and classified as a top health risk factor of the population in Thailand that can cause a number of obesity related diseases. There are many ways to treatment for obesity such as changing in eating habits, exercise, medicines and etc. But the use of commercial anti-obesity drugs can cause unpleasant side effects. Therefore, the research and finding academic information supports the use of plant extracts which possibly alternative biochemical function as anti-lipase agents. The leaf extract from Jatropha gossypifolia L. containing phenolic and flavonoid compounds that may help to reduce lipid by lipase inhibition.
This experiment aimed to study the effectiveness of leaf extract from Jatropha gossypifolia L. to reduce lipid by lipase inhibition with measuring light absorption in vitro method with a spectrophotometer at 410 nm. Orlistat was used as positive control.
Phytochemical screening study of the ethanolic extract of this plant (%Yield = 5.68) was analysed by High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) - Mass spectrometer (Ms) revealed that the presence of p-Coumaric acid (0.25 mg./mg.), Quercetin (0.34 mg./mg.) and Apigenin (0.12 mg./mg.). As a result, it was found that leaf extract from Jatropha gossypifolia L. exhibited the lower percentage of lipase inhibition activity than Orlistat in all concentrations and evaluated the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) found that leaf extract from Jatropha gossypifolia L. (IC50= 12.16 mg./ml.) exhibited the lower than Orlistat (IC50 = 1.47 mg./ml.).
In conclusion, the present findings suggested that the ethanolic leaf extract from Jatropha gossypifolia L. displayed slightly beneficial effects to reduce lipid by lipase inhibition.