Abstract

EFFECT OF PIPER BETLE ON PYRUVATE KINASE AND PHOSPHOENOLPYRUVATE CARBOXYKINASE OF COTYLOPHORON COTYLOPHORUM

Jeya S.* and Veerakumari L.

ABSTRACT

During the past decade, folklore medicine system has become a topic of global importance. Assurance of the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal and medicinal plants products has now become a key issue in industrialized and in developing countries. Present study was aimed to find out the efficacy of Piper betle leaves against Cotylophoron cotylophorum. C. cotylophorum is a trematode parasite which causes heavy morbidity and mortality among ruminants in global. In parasitic helminthe’s energy metabolism, key glycolytic substrate is phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) which is a branch point either converted to pyruvate by PK or to oxaloacetate by PEPCK. Hence in the present investigation PK and PEPCK were aimed as vital targets for the therapeutic intervention. Flukes were incubated in five different sub lethal concentrations of the ethylacetate extract of P.betle leaves (PbEaE). PK, PEPCK and protein were assayed following standard procedures. PbEaE significantly inhibited the activity of both the enzymes. The level of inhibition was time and dose dependent. Inhibition of PK and PEPCK may cause the decreased level of ATP production which led to death of the parasites.

Keywords: Cotylophoron cotylophorum, Piper betle, Pyruvate kinase, Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase.