Hypolipidaemic Potentials of Solanum melongena and Solanum gilo on Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits

Abstract

The fresh, ripe fruits of Solanum melongena and Solanum gilo were investigated for their possible hypolidemic potentials in hypercholesterolemia induced in New Zealand white rabbits by feeding the animals with normal diet supplemented with 1% cholesterol and groundnut oil for 3 weeks. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits were thereafter treated with normal diet supplemented with 10% of each fruit for 6 weeks. Rabbits fed with normal diet and hypercholesterolemic diets through out the experiment were used as negative and positive controls respectively. There was a significant increase in the weight of hypercholesterolemic rabbits, both test (Groups D and E) and control (Groups B and C) (P<0.01) compared with normal control (Group A). It was observed that the hypercholesterolemic rabbits treated with normal diet elicited a significant reduction in fasting serum cholesterol (11.52%), triglyceride (16.5%) and LDL cholesterol (41.13%) but a significant increase in HDL cholesterol (16.48%) and also in the HDL/LDL ratio (1.10), four weeks after replacement of high cholesterol diet with normal diet. This positive response was however more pronounced in fruit s treated rabbits. Solanum melongena and Solanum gilo significantly reduced serum total cholesterol by 65.40 and 52.69% respectively, triglyceride by 47.7 and 27%, LDL cholesterol by 85 and 83% respectively. They also increased significantly serum HDL by 24.7 and 25% respectively leading to increased HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio (3.37 and 3.25 respectively). This trend was also similar with liver lipid levels. Histopathological examination of the liver and aorta paraffin section stained with Haematoxylin and Eosine showed fewer lesions in the hypercholesterolemic rabbits treated with Solanum fruits compared with control hypercholesterolemic rabbits. These observations demonstrated that Solanum melongena and Solanum gilo have strong hypolipedemic effect which combined with improved HDL/LDL ratio is an indication of the possible use of this fruit in the treatment of diseases associated with hyperlipidemia such as ishcaemi c heart diseases and arteriosclerosis.