Extraction and Identification of Active Components from Herbs for their Characterization towards Prevention of Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological endocrine disorder that causes reproductive and metabolic disturbances. It is more common in females who have obesity and in some females it can also be a genetic disorder. PCOS can be treated by allopathic medicines but they have number of side effects in women like acne and menstrual irregularity. From thousands of years, plants have become a source of medicinal agents without any side-effects. In this study an effort has been made to identify the herbal components that can be used as an alternative to prevent PCOS without any side-effects. In this study, 7 samples of herbs were considered. Sample of Cinnamon (dalchini) was collected from a field of Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana; Curcuma longa (turmeric), Mentha piperita (pippermint) and Allium sativum (garlic) were taken from Gurudwara Bhora Sahib (Jagraon); Ocimum sanctum (tulsi), Azadirachta indica (neem) and Casearia esculanta (saptrangi) were collected from Farm house of CT university campus (Mullanpur). The samples were then dried at temperature of 38°C for 48 hours. To extract the active components from herbs, method of solvent extraction was used. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was done to identify the extracted components. Some biochemical tests were also performed to confirm the presence of the identified components. Quantitative analysis for these components was done using HPLC. From these 7 samples the active components that were successfully identified were cinnamaldehyde, allicin, estradiols, alkaloids, flavonoids and curcumin. An in-vivo analysis was done on female mice to test their effects on plasma circulation of female reproductive stages. The observations were made through microscopic examinations. The extracted identified components showed positive effects in increasing the levels of the required hormones. So, these herbal components can be used as a natural cure in preventing the symptoms that can occur due to PCOS.