Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa (PB) on serum and liver lipid metabolism in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered 1% cholesterol and 0.25% sodium cholate to induce hypercholesterolemia. PB ethanol extract (200 mg/kg/day or 400 mg/kg/day) was also administered orally to rats with high cholesterol diet for 6 weeks. We divided 40 rats into five groups; normal diet group (NC), high cholesterol diet group (HC), normal diet and PB ethanol extract (200 mg/kg) administered group (NC-PB), high cholesterol diet and PB ethanol extract (200 mg/kg) administered group (HC-PBL), and high cholesterol diet and PB ethanol extract (400 mg/kg) administered group (HC-PBH). The growth rate and liver weight of the high cholesterol diet group was higher than those of the normal diet group, whereas those of the groups administered PB ethanol extract were gradually decreased. There was a signigicant increase in the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), asparate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the high cholesterol diet group. The administration of PB ethanol extract decreased serum ALT, AST and ALP activities in a dose-dependent manners. The high cholesterol diet group showed increased serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, free cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels, and decreased atherogenic index, HDL-cholesterol and phospholipid levels as compared with the normal diet group. PB ethanol extract administrated groups showed increased HDL-C/T-C, HDL-cholesterol and phospholipid levels, and decreased serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, free cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels as compared with the high cholesterol diet group. There were no differences in the concentrations of serum triglyceride, phopholipid, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and free cholesterol between normal diet groups. The hepatic concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride were also lower in PB ethanol extract administrated groups than in the high cholesterol diet group. These results suggest that ethanol extract of PB exerts hypocholesterolemic effect by reducing serum and liver cholesterol contents.

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