Alligator pepper may provide next weight loss, energy-boosting drug
JAPANESE researchers have discovered more novel applications for alligator pepper.
Commonly called grains of paradise or alligator pepper, Aframomum melegueta is a tropical herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Aframomum belonging to the family zingiberaceae (ginger family).
The researchers in a study published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition tested the traditional West African herbal remedy and found that it increases thermogenesis and stimulates brown adipose tissue loss.
Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in organisms. It occurs mostly in warm-blooded animals.
The research comes from Japan’s Tenshi College School of Nursing and Nutrition. After significant laboratory testing on the medicinal herb called Aframomum melegueta, inclusive of breaking down its primary active constituents, the researchers tested the herb on 19 healthy young men.
The study is titled “Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract activates brown adipose tissue and increases whole-body energy expenditure in men.”
The researchers tested the 19 men for body fat content, energy expenditure and thermogenesis using positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
A PET scan uses radiation, or nuclear medicine imaging, to produce 3-dimensional, color images of the functional processes within the human body.
The thermogenesis testing included submitting the subjects to a cold environment for two hours while testing their energy output.
After gaining baseline levels, the researchers gave an extract of Aframomum melegueta seed or a placebo to the 19 men for four weeks, and then crossed the group over to test the placebo group with the herbal extract.
The researchers found that the extract resulted in a significant increase in energy expenditure and loss of brown adipose tissue – fatty tissue known to be difficult to reduce. They also found that energy expenditure increased within two hours of the subject receiving the extract, while the placebo group showed no such increase.
The research, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, means that Grains of Paradise may be a significant weight loss aid. Brown adipose tissue can be difficult to reduce for those wanting to lose weight because it receives significant circulation. Some refer to brown fatty tissue as “baby fat.”
The researchers wrote: “Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for cold- and diet-induced thermogenesis, and thereby contributes to the control of whole-body energy expenditure (EE) and body fat content. BAT activity can be assessed by fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in human subjects.
“Grains of paradise (GP, Aframomum melegueta), a species of the ginger family, contain pungent, aromatic ketones such as 6-paradol, 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. An alcohol extract of GP seeds and 6-paradol are known to activate BAT thermogenesis in small rodents.
“The present study aimed to examine the effects of the GP extract on whole-body EE and to analyse its relation to BAT activity in men. A total of nineteen healthy male volunteers aged 20-32 years underwent FDG-PET after 2 h of exposure to cold at 19°C with light clothing. A total of twelve subjects showed marked FDG uptake into the adipose tissue of the supraclavicular and paraspinal regions (BAT positive). The remaining seven showed no detectable uptake (BAT negative).
“Within four weeks after the FDG-PET examination, whole-body EE was measured at 27°C before and after oral ingestion of GP extract (40 mg) in a single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover design. The resting EE of the BAT-positive group did not differ from that of the BAT-negative group. After GP extract ingestion, the EE of the BAT-positive group increased within two hour to a significantly greater (P< 0·01) level than that of the BAT-negative group. Placebo ingestion produced no significant change in EE.
“These results suggest that oral ingestion of GP extract increases whole-body EE through the activation of BAT in human subjects.”
The phytochemicals obtained from the seed of Aframomum melegueta has been used for years in the treatment of infectious diseases. The grains of Aframomum melegueta possess active ingredients that may be exploited for local development of antimicrobials.
Alligator pepper has also shown promise in resolving erectile dysfunction and delaying ejaculation.
A preparation from Alligator pepper has received a United States patent as a potent aphrodisiac.
It has been shown that Alligator pepper is more effective when used with Piper guineense (Uziza in Ibo)), kola nut and bitter kola. In a research, this combination was used on male rats. The results showed that this combination has an ability to “turn on” male rats.
Indeed, the patented invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions based on the use of Aframomum seeds to solve the problem of male erectile dysfunction as well as premature ejaculation in men.
A summary of the U.S. Patent 5879682 reads: “One aim of the present invention is to provide a painless therapy for male erectile dysfunction as well as for premature ejaculation in male without the drawbacks of the prior art techniques. The composition of the present invention provide a painless and safe medication to patients suffering from erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation as well as to men wishing to improve their sexual performance.”
A study published in International Journal of Biology by researchers from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos concluded: “The plant Aframomum melegueta can be of immense use in phytomedicine and can be included in health care delivery system particularly in the developing economies. Further studies on more effective method of extracting only the necessary constituents and standard reconstitution means as well as other processing, refining and purification measures would be necessary. It can be concluded from this study that the extracts from the seed of Aframomum melegueta showed antimicrobial activity against the tested isolates at high concentration of 50mg/ml. This probably justifies its use as an antimicrobial agent.”
The presence of phenolic compounds in the seed of Aframomum melegueta indicates that this plant is an antimicrobial agents and this is because phenols and phenolic compounds have been extensively used in disinfections and remain the standard with which other bactericides are compared.
Extracts from the seed of Aframomum melegueta with have potent antiseptic or bactericidal properties, have therefore been used in treating wounds and preventions of infections.
Aframomum melegueta was tested for antimicrobial effects on five pathogenic bacteria, which include Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherictaia coli, Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumonia. The plant extract of Aframomum melegueta was found inhibitory to the growth of Klebsiella pneumonia and Salmonella typhi.
The findings revealed that extract from Aframomum melegueta contain phytochemicals, which offer an enormous potential as bio control of these pathogens and source of antimicrobial agents of therapeutic importance.
No comments:
Post a Comment