Medicine

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A Pilot study on palmyrah pinattu (dried fruit pulp) as an anti-diabetic food component
(International Formulae Group (IFG), 2007) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Perera, A.N.S.; Jansz, E.R.; Thabrew, M.I.
The fruit pulp of palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) has been shown to inhibit intestinal glucose uptake in mice, the active principle being a steroidal saponin, flabelliferin-II which inhibits intestinal ATPase in mice at 5x 10"5M level. Palmyrah fruit pulp (PFP) is widely used to manufacture many food products including dried PFP (pinattu), which has been consumed in North-East Sri Lanka for centuries. The present study was carried out to investigate whether PFP in the form of pinattu could reduce serum glucose levels of mild diabetic (Type-II) patients who were not on a drug regimen with a view to developing pinattu as an anti-diabetic food component. Patients (newly diagnosed, Type-11, mild diabetic patients) attending the diabetic clinic at the Family Practice Centre, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, were subjected to a glucose challenge (75 g/50 kg BW) after a 10 hour overnight fast and the blood glucose levels determined. On subsequent visits of each patient (3 days after the first visit) blood glucose was determined after administration of PFP in the form of pinattu (6 g/50 kg BW) or fibre (4 g/50 kg BW) extracted from PFP prior to the glucose challenge. The methodology employed was the cross over method where each patient was its own control. In all mild diabetic patients treated with pinattu, there was a significant reduction (p< 0.01, by 15-48%) in blood glucose concentration after a glucose challenge. Therefore the results of the present study suggest that pinattu (dried PFP) could be used as an anti-hyperglycemic agent.
The Effect of flabelliferins of palmyrah (Borassas Flabellifer) fruit pulp on intestinal glucose uptake in mice
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2006) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Thabrew, M.I.; Jansz, E.R.
Palmyrah (Boarssus flabellifer L.)is 3 tree found growing in arid climates. It has an edible fruit pulp. Previous work had shown that Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice fed with 10% fruit pulp in standard feed showed reduced weight gain due to bitter steroidal saponins termed flabelliferin-II. The effecr of this pulp and flabelliferin-II on glucose uptake was studied. At a dose of 10mg/mouse, mixed flabelliferins (with 2.5 mg flabelliferin II) reduced blood glucose after glucose challenge (p < 0.001), increased faecal glucose (p <0.001) 2nd intestinal glucose (p < 0.001), but not faecal glucose (p=0.62). The latter is probably due to the removal of flabelliferin triglycoside which is antimicrobial. The antimicrobial component and two other flabelliferins did not show the above effect. As the pulp is non-toxic it may find application as a functional food.
Preliminary report on the absence of toxicity of fruit pulp of palmrah (Borassus flabellifer) in ICR mice
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2005) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Thabrew, M.I.; Jansz, E.R.
Palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) flour prepared from the seed shoot has been previously reported to cause hepatotoxic, neurotoxic and other toxic effects. Although palmyrah fruit pulp (PFP) is also consumed in Sri Lanka, no toxicity studies have been done. Short and long term toxicity studies were therefore conducted with PFP by administration of 10% or 50% PFP (dry basis) incorporated into WHO standard feed (part of the maize being substituted with PFP) compared with a control group of ICR mice, fed the WHO standard feed (n=7 in each group, age 6 weeks, weight 36- 44g) , for 7 or 30 days. In both studies the effect of 10% or 50% PFP feed on liver and kidney function and haematological parameters (haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, white blood cell count and red blood cell count) were determined. Liver function was assessed by estimation of serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase. Renal toxicity was assessed by estimation of serum creatinine levels. In thelong term toxicity study, effect of PFP on histology of main body organs (heart, lung, liver, kidney and intestine) were also assessed by microscopic examination of haematoxylin / eosin stained sections of these organs. Results of both the short term and long term toxicity studies demonstrated that PFP at the 10% or 50% level did not have any significant effect on kidney or liver function nor on the haematological parameters under study and on the histology of major body organs in ICR mice. In all studies, neurotoxicity was assessed by comparing the behaviour of the test group with the control group. No behavioural changes or spasms were observed in the test groups of mice fed with the feed containing 10% or 50% PFP. The overall results suggest that PFP even at the 50% level in the standard feed probably does not produce any toxic effects in ICR mice.
Studies on the natural hydrophobic binders of flabelliferns and their effects on some bioactivities
(National Science Foundation Sri Lanka, 2005) Uluwaduge, D.I.; Punyakeerthi, A.A.; Senadheera, S.N.; Jansz, E.R.
The fruit pulp and flour of Palmyrah (Borassus Flabellifer L.) contain flabelliferins (steroidal saponins) which are found naturally bound to hydrophobic molecules which give them a blue fluorescence in ultra violet (UV) light. These hydrophobic molecules have been isolated and have been found to be carotenoids, most probably phytofluene and phytoene. The presence of these binders modulate the bioactivity of flabelliferins. That is, they lower ATPase inhibition activity of flabelliferin-II (F-II) and increase the anti-microbial activity of flabelliferin-B (F-B) against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922).

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