METHODS: The dried leaves powder was extracted with methanol at room temperature by using Soxhlet extractor. Methanol crude extracts of M. borneensis were extrastel with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol.
RESULTS: Qualitative analyses of various organic crude extracts showed that majority of these are flavonoids, terpeniods, alkaloids and glycosides. Most of the identified compounds by GC-MS are biologically important. Further the M. borneensis leaf possesses certain characteristics that can be ascribed to cultivation on a domestic plantation.
CONCLUSIONS: The suitable extracts for respective compounds can be chosen on the basis of above GC-MS analysis. All the major compounds from different extracts are biologically active molecules. Thus the identification of a good number of compounds from various extracts M. borneensis might have some ecological significance.
METHODS: Galactagogue activity was evaluated in terms of quantity of milk produced from the rats treated with petroleum ether, ethanol or water extracts of the flower. Lactating rats (n = 5) of Spraque Dawley with six pups each were administered with the extracts in the amount of 500 mg/kg body weight, while the control rats were given an equivalent amount of distilled water. The rats were daily administered via oral feeding starting from Day 5 until Day 14 and the performance of milk production was measured along the experimental period by weight-suckle-weight method. Results were statistically analyzed using SPSS by means of ANOVA at 0.05 and was expressed as their mean?standard deviation. The rates of pups' growth were measured as the weight gain along the experimental period.
RESULTS: The rats treated with aqueous extract produced higher milk than control and ethanol groups. Aqueous extract was identified to increase milk production by 25%, while petroleum ether extract by 18%. The mean of yields produced by the rats during suckling period for aqueous, petroleum ether, ethanol and control were 4.62±2.45, 4.37±1.93, 3.65±1.89 and 3.69±1.79, respectively. Growth rates of pups for the rats treated with control, aqueous, ethanol extract and petroleum ether were (1.85±0.49), (1.78±0.56), (1.65±0.46) and (1.56±0.42) g/pup, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study reveals the potential of M. x paradisiaca flower to enhance milk production of nursing mothers which could be exploited for commercialization of the isolated extract.