Application of Life Sciences to Improve the Natural Resources Usage for Plant Growth

Application of Life Sciences to Improve the Natural Resources Usage for Plant Growth

The herb of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (Liliaceae) has been used as an edible wild herb and to treat heart failure and gastritis. We have already reported antihyperlipidemic anti-tumor effects of this plant. To enlarge the commercial availability of this food, it was investigated whether the extracts of A. victorialis var.platyphyllum reduce hyperlipidemia and obesity or not. The plants tested in this experiment were collected from two eco-types of IS. Ullung and Mt. Odae cultivated at Pyongchang. Extracts were prepared by extracting the fresh leaves and those dried at <TEX>$36^{\circ}C$</TEX> and <TEX>$90^{\circ}C$</TEX>, respectively. Pretreatment with the ethanolic extracts for two weeks (p.o.) reduced serum triglyceride-, total cholesterol- and LDL-cholesterol contents in rats induced by Triton WR-1339, respectively. Furthermore, oral administration of the extracts also inhibited the hyperlipidemia induced with oral diet of 30% corn oil. In the other attempt to find to alleviate the obesity, the model rats with obesity were induced by the high fat-diet for six weeks. Post-treatment with the extracts for two weeks significantly reduced the hyperlipidemia. Retroperitoneal-, epidymal- and total abdominal fat pad weights were considerably reduced at 100 mg/kg oral administration of the extracts. Increased feces lipid contents were also found in the rat treated with the extracts. The extract of Mt. Odae eco-type showed more potent activity than that of Is. Ullung one. These results suggest that use of the fresh leaves may lead to the higher activity in treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity than of the dried one.