Abstract
The present objective of the investigation is to evaluate the antihypercholesterolemic activity of the aqueous fruit pulp extract (APE) of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae family). Various chemical characterization methods like thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR, and molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography have been employed to characterize the extracted pectin. The present study demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) created hypercholesterolemia, caused significant increases in body weight, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, and caused decreases in high-density lipoprotein in serum compared with SD group. Two doses (APE 150 and 300 mg/Kg b.w./day) were administered to hyperlipidemic mice for 90 days. APE reversed body weight changes, changed serum lipids to normal values, and significantly inhibited the changes of lipid peroxidation and inflammation in the liver tissues. The renal parameters analyzed (urea and creatinine) altered by diet were reverted to normal values. Our results revealed that aqueous fruit pulp extracts of carnauba reduced hypercholesterolemia showing a potential preventive effect against cardiovascular diseases without side effects cause.
Highlights
Atherosclerosis has among its main determinants hypercholesterolemia characterized by increase of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) serum
The results showed that lipid peroxidation of both doses (150 and 300 mg/Kg) used reduced malondialdehyde concentration of liver tissue (0.21 and 0.22 nmol/g) when compared with HD (0.39 nmol/g) indicating a protective effect against oxidative stress caused by hypercholesterolemic diet (Table 8)
The pectin content obtained from the pulp of unripe fruits of C. prunifera of this study showed a value of 2.9%
Summary
Atherosclerosis has among its main determinants hypercholesterolemia characterized by increase of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) serum. This condition raises the important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the leading cause of mortality worldwide [1]. Cardiovascular disease, recently, in different geographical regions of the world is more prevalent in western countries and people with older age, giving a high incidence of mortality [2]. Many medications have been used to manage atherosclerosis over the years. These drugs on the market are very effective against deleterious effects of dyslipidemia acting mainly on the reduction of LDL-C and plasma triglycerides. The research of natural products with nutraceutical effects gained much prominence in several chronic diseases such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cancer [5]
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