Phytochemical profiling of Garcinia gummi-gutta (Malabar tamarind) and in vitro analysis of cholesterol lowering effect

Scientific Study from the year 2017 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 1.5, Mar Augusthinose College, language: English, abstract: In our society cholesterol related diseases are increasing day by day. The major reason for this is our eating habit or food habit. Eating foods containing trans fats, which are often found in fast food and commercially baked breads, cookies, and snack foods. It was observed that while peoples taking the fruits of Garcinia gummi-gutta in their food preparations have low cholesterol level. Some peoples are eating boiled fruits and drinking water in which the fruits peels are boiled in order to reduce the cholesterol level. This study was carried out to explore the phytochemical constituents of the solvent extracts of Garcinia gummi-gutta fruit and in vitro analysis of its cholesterol lowering effect. The cholesterol lowering effect was carried out in vitro using common fatty food materials like ghee, fats of pork and chicken, hen egg and cod liver oil. Each food materials were treated with extract and incubated for a number of days and each day the cholesterol level was estimated by Zak's method. From the data, pork and chicken fat, egg yolk and ghee shows significant reduction in the cholesterol level. From the present study it can be concluded that the constituents present in the extracts may be responsible for the cholesterol lowering activity.

Dr. Prem Jose Vazhacharickal is currently working as an assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology, Mar Augusthinose College, Ramapuram, Kerala, India. He received the research training and academic guidance from Prof. Dr. Andreas Buerkert, University of Kassel, Germany.