Abstract
Dyslipidemia is an important cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of cinnamon on body weight gain, food intake, and serum lipid profiles of albino rats. This study was conducted on 30 healthy male albino rats weighing approximately 130 ± 5 g. The study was divided into the following two experiments: experiment (1), wherein rats were fed a laboratory diet; and experiment (2), wherein rats were fed a high-fat diet. In experiment 1, a total of 15 rats were divided into three groups. Group A (n = 5, untreated control) was fed laboratory diet, Group B (n = 5) was fed laboratory diet and cinnamon powder (2 g/kg body weight), and Group C (n = 5) was fed laboratory diet and cinnamon powder (4 g/kg body weight) for 30 days. In experiment (2), a total of 15 rats were similarly divided into three groups. Group D (n = 5, treated control) was fed laboratory diet plus high-fat diet, Group E (n = 5) was fed cinnamon powder (2 g/kg body weight) mixed with laboratory diet plus high-fat diet, and Group F (n = 5) was fed cinnamon powder (4 g/kg body weight) mixed with laboratory diet plus high-fat diet daily for 30 days. An administration of 4 g/kg body weight of cinnamon extract powder decreased the final weight by 4.4%, body weight gains by 31.41%, food intake by 1.7%, and food efficiency ratio by 22.38% in hypercholesterolemic adult male rats as well as serum total cholesterol by 31.22%, triglyceride by 24.05%, and LDL-C by 43.49%, with an increase in the levels of HDL-C by 30.16%, furthermore, a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C levels and increasing serum HDL-C on day 30 were observed (P < 0.001). This finding provides scientific evidence to substantiate the traditional use of cinnamon to treat hyperlipidemia.
Highlights
Dyslipidemia is an important cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the most prevalent reasons for morbidity and mortality. ese diseases are characterized by elevated blood lipids, which include at least one of the following alterations in the lipid profile: increased serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides, and/or decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in systemic circulation. ese factors are among the leading causes of CVDs [1,2,3]
On day 30 post-treatment, the cinnamon extract powder equivalent to 2 g/kg body weight reduced the final weight by 3.22%, body weight gains by 13.98%, food intake by 3.59%, and food efficiency ratio by 10.71%
An increase was observed in HDL-C by 3.83%, it was not a significant change. e administration of 4 g/kg of body weight of cinnamon extract powder reduced the final weight by 2.59%, body weight gains by 19.00%, food intake by 4.31%, food efficiency ratio by 15.47%, serum total cholesterol by 4.1%, triglycerides by 4.87%, and LDL-C levels by 10.28%. e level of HDL-C was increased by 7.08%
Summary
Dyslipidemia is an important cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the most prevalent reasons for morbidity and mortality. ese diseases are characterized by elevated blood lipids, which include at least one of the following alterations in the lipid profile: increased serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides, and/or decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in systemic circulation. ese factors are among the leading causes of CVDs [1,2,3]. E organic material cinnamon, one of the most important and popular spices used daily by people worldwide without any side effects, is extracted from the inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum of the family Lauraceae. It is represented by approximately 250 species widely found across Asia, Australia, and South America [7, 8]. Cinnamomum cassia, called Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon is an evergreen tree originating in southern China, and widely cultivated there and elsewhere in southern and eastern Asia It is one of the most important spices and medicinal materials in the world [9]. Cinnamon primarily contains vital oils and other derivatives, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate, and these derivatives play vital roles in its natural antioxidant [10], anti-inflammatory [11], antidiabetic [12, 13], antimicrobial [14, 15], anticancer [16, 17], and cholesterol-lipid-lowering properties [12, 18, 19]
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