Peperomia Pellucida Research Articles

Proximate Composition, Nutritional Attributes and Mineral Composition of Peperomia pellucida L. (Ketumpangan Air) Grown in Malaysia

This study presents the proximate and mineral composition of Peperomia pellucida L., an underexploited weed plant in Malaysia. Proximate analysis was performed using standard AOAC methods and mineral contents were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicated Peperomia pellucida to be rich in crude protein, carbohydrate and total ash contents. The high amount of total ash (31.22%) suggests a high-value mineral composition comprising potassium, calcium and iron as the main elements. The present study inferred that Peperomia pellucida would serve as a good source of protein and energy as well as micronutrients in the form of a leafy vegetable for human consumption.

Comparative phytochemical and ethnomedicinal survey of selected medicinal plants in Nigeria

Phytochemical screening and ethnomedicinal survey of twenty-two medicinal plants distributed in fifteen different families were carried out in order to know the distribution of secondary metabolites and the diseases being treated with these plants. It was discovered that alkaloids, tannins and saponin were present in all. Flavonoid was absent only in Peperomia pellucida; five out of these plants lack terpene, ten of them have steroid; eleven of them have cardiac glycosides while only four of these twenty-two have phlobatannin. The ethnomedicinal survey revealed a wide range of human ailments being treated with these plants, ranging from eye infections, respiratory infections, inflammations, urinary diseases, jaundice, anaemia, arthritis to diabetes and dysentery. This study therefore, justifies the ethnobotanical significance of the plants by the presence of secondary metabolites, which if extracted, can be of significant medicinal usefulness in the synthesis of bioactive drugs. Therefore, the findings of this study are recommended for further screening to identify specific photochemical compounds of medicinal significance for bioprospecting and pharmaceutical production. Key words: Phytochemical, ethnomedicinal, medicinal plants, secondary metabolites.

Comparative phytochemical and ethnomedicinal survey of selected medicinal plants in Nigeria

Phytochemical screening and ethnomedicinal survey of twenty-two medicinal plants distributed in fifteen different families were carried out in order to know the distribution of secondary metabolites and the diseases being treated with these plants. It was discovered that alkaloids, tannins and saponin were present in all. Flavonoid was absent only in Peperomia pellucida; five out of these plants lack terpene, ten of them have steroid; eleven of them have cardiac glycosides while only four of these twenty-two have phlobatannin. The ethnomedicinal survey revealed a wide range of human ailments being treated with these plants, ranging from eye infections, respiratory infections, inflammations, urinary diseases, jaundice, anaemia, arthritis to diabetes and dysentery. This study therefore, justifies the ethnobotanical significance of the plants by the presence of secondary metabolites, which if extracted, can be of significant medicinal usefulness in the synthesis of bioactive drugs. Therefore, the findings of this study are recommended for further screening to identify specific photochemical compounds of medicinal significance for bioprospecting and pharmaceutical production. Key words: Phytochemical, ethnomedicinal, medicinal plants, secondary metabolites.

Possible Mechanism of Action of the Hypotensive Effect of Peperomia pellucida and Interactions between Human Cytochrome P450 Enzymes

Background: Peperomia pellucida is used as a medicinal plant and as an antihypertensive remedy. We investigated the possible mechanism of this action and its impact on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity. Methods: Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were recorded via cannulation of the carotid artery on anaesthetized, normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats following intravenous administration of Peperomia pellucida aqueous (10-30 mg/ kg) plant extract (PPAE). Recordings of the contractile activity of the aortic rings to the extract (1.9-8.6 mg/ml) were done using standard organ bath techniques. Impact on CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzyme activities was investigated using human liver and heterologously expressed microsomes. Results: We observed a dose-dependent reduction in systolic, diastolic, MAP and HR. Pre-treatment with atropine (2 mg/kg) and propranolol (1 mg/kg) but not mepyramine (2 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05) reduced the hypotensive and negative chronotropic activities caused by the extract, while L-NAME (5 mg/kg) completely abolished it. PPAE significantly (p<0.05) relaxed the phenylephrine (10 -9 -10 -4 M) and KCl- induced contractions and displayed moderate inhibition of CYP3A4 enzyme activity with IC50 values of 0.466 ± 0.126 mg/mL and 0.153 ± 0.054 mg/mL, respectively using heterogenously expressed CYP3A4 and human liver microsomes (HLMs) Conclusion: Results suggest dose-dependent hypotensive, bradycardic and vasorelaxant effects of PPAE are mediated through Nitric oxide-dependent mechanisms. The impact on CYPs enzyme activities indicate unlikely adverse drug effect when Peperomia pellucida is consumed with other medications reliant on CYP3A4 metabolism.

Peperomia pellucida in diets modulates hyperglyceamia, oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in diabetic rats

ObjectiveTo investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of Peperomia pellucida (P. pellucida) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. MethodsBeside mouse chow, two diets were designed to contain 10%w/w and 20%w/w P. pellucida as supplements respectively. Diabetes was induced in groups of five male albino rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan. Two groups of diabetic rats and normo rats were each fed one of these diets respectively, while two other groups served as positive and negative controls respectively. A seventh group was fed pelletized mouse chow. ResultsDiabetic rats on diets supplemented with 10%w/w and 20%w/w of P. pellucida for 28 d resulted in reduction of blood glucose level. The level of total serum cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol decreased significantly (P<0.05) with the supplementation diets compared to the untreated diabetic rats. Also treatment with glibenclamide and P. pellucida (10% and 20%w/w) led to increased activities of SOD, CAT and GSH respectively. There was significant (P<0.05) reduction in the level of HDL-cholesterol, Catalase, SOD activities and GSH concentration in diabetic untreated rats. The supplemented diets significantly (P<0.05) reduced lipid peroxidation, which was elevated in untreated diabetic rats. Significant decrease (P<0.05) in the activities of AST, ALT and ALP was also observed in rats fed P. pellucida supplemented diets. ConclusionsThe results from this study indicate that P. pellucida has an antidiabetic and antioxidant properties in experimental diabetes mellitus and thus justifies the acclaimed traditional antidiabetic use.

Preliminary Investigation into the Chemical Properties of Peperomia pellucida L.

Preliminary Investigation into the Chemical Properties of Peperomia pellucida L.

In vitro activities of plant extracts on human Loa loa isolates and cytotoxicity for eukaryotic cells

Loa loa, a filarial worm, can cause fatal encephalitis in humans. In an attempt to find alternatives to the standard treatments (ivermectin and diethylcarbamazine citrate), we tested 12 methanolic extracts of nine traditional plant remedies. The extracts (100-0.09 microg/ml) were incubated with 20 Loa loa microfilariae isolated from patients at 37 degrees C with 5% CO(2) in modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% fetal serum and antibiotics. Activity was evaluated 120 h later by counting live microfilariae under a microscope. Cytotoxicity for eukaryotic cells was estimated by measuring 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2-5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide transformation to formazan at 450 nM in a spectrophotometer. The plants tested were Lophira alata, Greenwayodendron suaveolens, Uapaca togoensis, Zanthoxylum heitzii, Peperomia pellucida, Piptadeniastrum africanum, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Vernonia conferta, and Vernonia hymenolepis. Chemical screening showed that most of the extracts contained reducing sugars, tannin or polyphenols, sterols or triterpenes, saponosides, and alkaloids. None contained carotinoids and few contained flavonoids. The 50% lethal concentration ranged from 0.22 to 70.28 microg/ml, while the 50% inhibitory concentration for eukaryotic cells (IC(50)) ranged from 8.52 to 119.52 microg/ml. Extracts of P. macrocarpus (selectivity index = 72.16), P. africanum (13.69), Z. heitzii (12.11), and L. alata (9.26) were highly selective for L. loa.

Antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of &lt;i&gt;Peperomia pellucida&lt;/i&gt; (l.) H. B. &amp; K. (piperaceae) on three gram-negative bacteria isolates.

The antibacterial activity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extract of Peperomia pellucida was investigated on Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using Agar-well diffusion method. Results showed that E. coli displayed the highest susceptibility in water extract (17.4mm–21.2mm) followed by P. mirabilis (12.4mm–15mm) and least in P. aeruginosa (10.2mm–12.24mm). Conversely, the ethanolic extract showed the highest inhibition in P. aeruginosa (13.4mm–19.6mm) followed by Proteus mirabilis (10.2mm–18.2mm) and the least was in Escherichia coli (0.0mm–12.2mm). The results revealed that ethanol is better than water as solvent for extraction of P. pellucida for it to show its highest inhibitory activity on Proteus mirabilis and P. aeruginosa while water is the best solvent for extraction of P. pellucida for it to show its highest inhibitory activity on E. coli. Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Peperomia pellucida, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, leaf extracts

Tissue culture and expression of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit in transgenic Peperomia pellucida

The B subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LTB), a non-toxic molecule with potent biological properties, is a powerful mucosal and parenteral adjuvant that induces a strong immune response against co-administered or coupled antigens. We synthesized a gene encoding the LTB adapted to the optimized coding sequences in plants and fused to the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal SEKDEL to enhance its expression level and protein assembly in plants. The synthetic LTB gene was located into a plant expression vector under the control of CaMV 35S promoter and was introduced into Peperomia pellucida by biolistic transformation method. The integration of synthetic LTB gene into genomic DNA of transgenic plants was confirmed by genomic DNA PCR amplification method. The assembly of plant-produced LTB was detected by western blot analysis. The amount of LTB protein produced in transgenic P. pellucida leaves was approximately 0.75% of the total soluble plant protein. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that plant-synthesized LTB protein bound specifically to GM1-ganglioside, which is receptor for LTB on the cell surface, suggesting that the LTB subunits formed biological active pentamers.

The effect of dietary supplementation with Peperomia pellucida on body weight, serum lipids and glucose in normal and nutritionally induced hypercholesterolemia in rats.

This study was designed to investigate the hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic properties of Peperomia pellucida as dietary supplement in normal andcholesterol fed albino rats. The plant was administered at 10% and 20%(w/w) in the standard rat feed of rat feed containing 5% cholesterol, 2.5% groundnut oil and 0.5% cholic acid for 28 days. In the high cholesterol diet fed rats, Peperomia dietary supplementation caused a dose dependent and significant reduction (p

PEMERIKSAAN FARMAKOGNOSTIK DAN SKRINING KOMPONEN KIMIA HERBA SURUHAN (Peperomia pellucida L.(Kunth).) ASAL KOTA MAKASSAR

Peperomia pellucida is tradisional medicine used for treatment of hay fever, hipotensi, diuretic, and stomatichum in Sulawesi Selatan, This research aimed to get data of morphology, anatomy and also data of physis and chemical from Suruhan for development of its for drug. Sample extraction with methanoll 95%, physis data included content water soluble extractive 8,68%, dilute etanol soluble extractive 15,04 %, total ash 4 %, water insoluble ash 2,75%, acid insoluble ash 4,24%, identification by using chemical analysis to the powder of herb resulted alkaloid, steroid, tannin, lignin, pati, aleuron, and profil of TLC is steroid. Identification of morphology showed that Suruhan was Herb, wet bark, leaf simple, cordatus, strongly green, flowers are very small in dense spikes. Assay anatomy to bark showed closed collateral vessel bundle, calsium oxalate crystal, transverse section of leaves indicated that epidermis with stomata type is anisositik, hypodermis, palisade, spons, vesicle bundle, and calsium oxalate crystal. Key Words : Identification, Piperomia pellucid

Use of medicinal plants for the treatment of measles in Nigeria

Aim of the study The present study was an ethnobotanical survey of three Local Government areas of the Ijebu area of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria for plants used in the treatment of measles. Materials and methods Unstructured interviews were conducted among both urban and rural dwellers of three major groups of Ijebu people inhabiting the area (Ijebu North, Ijebu northeast and Ijebu Ode Local Governments). Results A total of 20 respondents constituted by herbalists, herbsellers and old people that have privileged information on the plants used in the treatment of measles among children were encountered during the survey. Twenty-three plant species belonging to 18 Angiosperm families were said to possess curative properties for the cure of measles among the local populace. Amongst the most frequently used plants are Elytraria marginata Vahl, Peperomia pellucida (L.) Humb., Bonpl. & Kunth, Vernonia amygdalina Del., Momordica charantia L., Newbouldia laevis (P. Beauv.) Seem. ex Bureau, and Ocimum gratissimum L. Conclusion The most frequently mentioned family is Cucurbitaceae. The mode of preparation and recommended dosages are enumerated in this paper. The results of the study call for an urgent need of the introduction of a strategy for the conservation of indigenous medicinal plants in the area.

Essential Oil Profiles of Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants

The paper reports on the compounds identified from the essential oils of Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth. (Piperaceae), Laggera aurita (L.f.) Sch. Bip. ex C.B. Clarke (Asteraceae), Crateva religiosa Forst. f. (Capparaceae) and Passiflora foetida L. (Passifloraceae). The oils were obtained by separate hydrodistillation procedures and analyzed for their constituents by means of GC and GC-MS. The seventy-four oil constituents of P. pellucida had dill-apiole (38.6 %), bicyclogermacrene (10.7 %), germacrene D (9.6 %) and β-chamigrene (8.3 %) in abundance. The phenol ether- p-2, 5-dimethoxy cymene (66.5 %) was the most singly abundance of the twenty-nine constituent of L. aurita. Terpenes are less common. In the forty-three identified oil constituents of C. religiosa were present linalool (30.2 %) and nonanal (17.2 %) as dominant compounds while P. foetida had hexahydrofarnesylacetone (15.2 %) occurring above 10 % among the seventy-six constituents detected so far. The other constituents that could be identified in sizeable amounts are β-eudesmol (6.5 %), germacrene D, caryophyllene oxide and β-cedrene (ca.5.0 %). The volatile oil constituents of C. religiosa and P. foetida are probably being reported for the first time.

Flavonoid contents of some Sumatran medicinal plants

Sumatra is one of the four largest islands in the world and known to be very rich with varieties of tropical rain forest plants. Many of these plants have been used traditionally for many purposes such as medicine, aromatic, foods, colouring agent, insecticides, etc. In collaboration with National Agency of Drug and Food Control of the Republic of Indonesia (BPOM-RI) we aimed to standardize some of Indonesian medicinal plant extracts known to contain large amounts of phenolic compounds [2]. Ethanolic extracts prepared from the following herbs, Scurrulla ferrugenia Danser (Loranthaceae) traditionally used as anticancer, Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth (Piperaceae), used as antirheumatic and Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. (Asteraceae) used as antipyretic and antiinflamatory, were found to contain quercetin-equivalent amounts of 19.2%, 2.6% and 13.3%, respectively. Ethanolic extracts of Pluchea indica (L.) Less. leaves (Asteraceae) which is used as antipyretic and astrigent was found to contain 8.9% of quercetine-3-K-bisulphate while the aqueous extract of Uncaria gambir Roxb. leaves (Rubiaceae) used as antidiarrheic and as an industrial source of tannins averaged 90% of catechin. The phenolic contents were analysed using spectrophotometric methods and with HPLC measurements [2].

Specific leaf area relates to the differences in leaf construction cost, photosynthesis, nitrogen allocation, and use efficiencies between invasive and noninvasive alien congeners

Comparisons between invasive and native species may not characterize the traits of invasive species, as native species might be invasive elsewhere if they were introduced. In this study, invasive Oxalis corymbosa and Peperomia pellucida were compared with their respective noninvasive alien congeners. We hypothesized that the invasive species have higher specific leaf (SLA) than their respective noninvasive alien congeners, and analyzed the physiological and ecological consequences of the higher SLA. Higher SLA was indeed the most important trait for the two invaders, which was associated with their lower leaf construction cost, higher nitrogen (N) allocation to photosynthesis and photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE). The higher N allocation to photosynthesis of the invaders in turn increased their PNUE, N content in photosynthesis, biochemical capacity for photosynthesis, and therefore light-saturated photosynthetic rate. The above resource capture-, use- and growth-related traits may facilitate the two invaders' invasion, while further comparative studies on a wider range of invasive and noninvasive congeners are needed to understand the generality of this pattern and to fully assess the competitive advantages afforded by these traits.

Anti-ulcer activity of aqueous ethanol extract of Peperomia pellucida in Sprague dawley rats

Anti-ulcer activity of aqueous ethanol extract of Peperomia pellucida in Sprague dawley rats

Eco-taxonomic distribution of plant species around motor mechanic workshops in Asaba and Benin City, Nigeria: Identification of oil tolerant plant species

A survey of plant species and their families present in auto mechanic workshops in Benin City and Asaba was carried out. The frequency of occurrence of plants in the sites visited was used to determine prevalence. Peperomia pellucida occurred most in all the sites visited with a 55% frequency. The high rate of occurrence of a particular plant species in the frequency table, suggests that such plants are tolerant and may be introduced as a possible phytoremediating agent. Key words: Tolerant plants, mechanic workshops, Peperomia pellucida, waste engine oil.

Bioactive Compounds from Peperomia pellucida

Five new compounds (1-5), including two secolignans, two tetrahydrofuran lignans, and one highly methoxylated dihydronaphthalenone, were isolated from the whole plant of Peperomia pellucida. These compounds were accompanied by the known peperomins A, B, C, and E, 7,8-trans-8,8'-trans-7',8'-cis-7,7'-bis(5-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-8-acetoxymethyl-8'-hydroxymethyltetrahydrofuran, 7,8-trans-8,8'-trans-7',8'-cis-7-(5-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-7'-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-8,8'-diacetoxymethyltetrahydrofuran, sesamin, and isoswertisin. New structures were elucidated mainly by NMR and MS techniques, and anticancer activities evaluated in HL-60, MCF-7, and HeLa cell lines. Compound 1 and peperomin E show growth inhibitory effects on the three cancer cell lines with IC(50) values ranging between 1.4 and 9.1 and between 1.8 and 11.1 microM, respectively. Compound 2 has a weak suppressive activity on HL-60 cells (IC(50) = 10.8 microM), while 7,8-trans-8,8'-trans-7',8'-cis-7,7'-bis(5-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-8-acetoxymethyl-8'-hydroxymethyltetrahydrofuran exhibits estrogen-like properties (EC(50) = 3.1 microM) in CV-1 cells transfected with human estrogen receptor (ERalpha).

Eco-taxonomic distribution of plant species around motor mechanic workshops in Asaba and Benin City, Nigeria: Identification of oil tolerant plant species

A survey of plant species and their families present in auto mechanic workshops in Benin City and Asaba was carried out. The frequency of occurrence of plants in the sites visited was used to determine prevalence. Peperomia pellucida occurred most in all the sites visited with a 55% frequency. The high rate of occurrence of a particular plant species in the frequency table, suggests that such plants are tolerant and may be introduced as a possible phytoremediating agent.

UJI EFEK ANTIINFLAMASI EKSTRAK HERBA SURUHAN (Peperomia pellucida L. KUNTH) PADA TIKUS PUTIH JANTAN

Peperomia pellucida L. Kunth herbs (Herba Suruhan) is one of the alternative for inflamation therapy. In this study, albino rats were devided into seven groups. The first three groups was administered orally the extract of Suruhan herbs 1500 mg/Kg body weight, 2000 mg/Kg body weight and 2500 mg/Kg body weight. The next three groups were given Indomethacine solutions with the doses of 13.5 mg/Kg body weight, 15.8 mg/Kg body weight and 15 mg/Kg body weight, and the last groups (control) were given 1 percent of PGA suspension alone. Fifty microliter of Carrageen solution of 1.5 percent was injected subcutaneously to all rats in those group. The volume of the foot paw of albino male rat injected with carrageen, was measured and recorded for 4 hours. The number of leucocyte and the number of differential count were observed every two hour, namely at the fourth, sixth and eight hours following carrageen injection. There were significant differences in the antiinflamation effect using plethysmometer and the number of leucocyte counts between control and all the treatment group. For the differential count, not all the results showed significant differences.