Abstract

MEDICINAL VALUE OF SOME EDIBLE LEAFY VEGETABLES FROM BANGLADESH.

Maksuda Khatun, Shariful haque*, Md. Abul Hassan, Sheikh Nazrul Islam

Abstract

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity andthe anti-hyperglycemic effect of fourteen edible leafy vegetables fromBangladesh. The anti-hyperglycemic effect of fourteen edible leafyvegetables from Bangladesh was studied on 60 healthy rabbits,submitted weekly to subcutaneous glucose tolerance tests after gastricadministration of water, glipizide or methanol extract of leafyvegetables. Glucose oxidase method was used to determine the serumglucose level of normal mice. SPSS software package (version 11.5Inc. Chicago USA.) was used to analysis the data. Among fourteenplants tested for hypoglycemic property, ten showed significant(p<0.05) hypoglycemic action at some point of treatment. Theylowered the serum glucose level at different rate and nearly made it normal within 28 days oftreatment, however, almost all of the nutraceuticals made the blood glucose normal by 7 dayto 14 day treatment. Seven species showed more antidiabetic properties than positive control(Dimerol) indicating highly significant for Diabetes. These are: Chenopodium album,Hewittia sublobata, Hygrophila auriculata, Ipomoea batatus, Malva verticillata, Piperlongum and Portulaca quadrifida. Also the methanol extract of fourteen edible leafyvegetables were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against six gram positive and six gramnegative bacterial strains.The in-vitro antimicrobial activity was performed by agar welldiffusion method on Nutrient agar media and Muller Hinton agar media. The Methanolextract of Leucas aspera showed moderate antimicrobial activity against only gram positivebacteria, the methanolic extract of Enhydra fluctuans showed mild antimicrobial activity against only gram positive bacteria and the methanolic extrac of Hewittia sublobata showed very small action against only gram positive bacteria. The methanol extract of all used plants did not show any antimicrobial activity against gram negative bacteria.

Keywords: Gliclazide, Antihyperglycemic effect, Antibacterial activity, Hewittia sublobata, Enhydra fluctuans, Chenopodium album, Hewittia sublobata, Hygrophila auriculata.