Hypolipidaemic activity of some medicinal plants of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Hyperlipidaemia, especially hypercholesterolaemia, causing the deposition of cholesterol in the arterial walls, is a predisposing factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), in contrast, could scavenge the deposited cholesterol and prevent predisposition to CHD. Hence, it is advantageous to lower the serum total: HDL cholesterol ratio by therapeutic or dietary intervention.

In this study, two independent experiments were carried out where Allum sativum bulbs, Murrya koenigii leaves, Sida acuta roots, Tinosporacordifolia stems were studied in the first study, and Aegle marmelos roots, A marmelos, Allium sativum bulbs, Murrya koengii leaves and Sida acuta roots in the second study, were investigated for any possible hypocholesterolaemic activity. Hyperlipidaemic male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with aqueous extracts of above plants, 200 mg/kg orally in the first experiment, and 1 g/kg orally in the second experiment, for six weeks, and bled following a 14 h fast, and the sera were analysed for the lipid profiles using "Randox" cholesterol assay kits. The data were analysed by the t-test.

In the first experiment, the total and the HDL cholesterol levels of the control group were 71.04 ± 6.58 and 38.76 ± 3.09 mg/dl, respectively (Total: HDL = 1.83). The test groups administered with the extracts of A. sativum, M koenigii, S. acuta and T. cordifalia displayed total: HDL Ratios of l.63, l. 76, 1.45, 1.70 respectively.

In the second experiment, the total and HDL cholesterol levels of the control group were 102.93 ± 42.02 and 32.86 ± 8.23 mg/dl, respectively. (Total: HDL = 3.13). The test groups dosed with the extracts of A. marme/os roots, a marme/os leaves. A sativum bulbs, M konigii leaves and S. acuta roots displaced Total: HDL ratio of l.31, 3.54, 6.70, 1.73 and 1.92 respectively.

This studies showed that among the plants tested S acuta roots and marme/os roots were most effective in the reduction in the total: HDL, cholesterol ratio and thereby relieve the risk of CHD.