Abstract
BackgroundHyperlipidemia and oxidative stress are major risk factors for atherosclerosis, and all three are among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Cassia occidentalis aqueous extract has been used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of hypertension and associated cardiovascular diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic properties of the aqueous extract of the leaves of C. occidentalis in rats with hypercholesterolemia (HC).Sixty Normocholesterolemic (NC) male rats were divided into six groups (n = 10) and fed a high-cholesterol (HC) diet for 30 days (5 groups), or normal rat chow (normal control group). The plant extract was administered to animals at the increasing dose of 240, 320 and 400 mg/kg. After 4 weeks of treatment 5 rats out of 10 were sacrificed, blood samples, aorta, liver, and fresh faecal were collected and processed for biochemical tests. The experiments were conducted under the same conditions with a group of rat treated with Atorvastatin (1 mg/kg), used positive control. The effects of C. occidentalis on weight gain, water and food consumptions, levels of serum lipids and lipoprotein lipid oxidation and stress markers in blood and liver were also examined.ResultsA significant body weight gain was observed in general in all the group of animals without any treatment after 4 weeks. During the treatment period, the C. occidentalis extract induced a significant increase (P < 0.01) in water consumption and food intakes. After 4 weeks of treatment with hypercholesterolemia, the body temperature and organ weights including the liver, kidney, heart and the testis did not present any significant change. The administration of C. occidentalis extract significantly (p < 0.05) prevented the elevation in TC, LDL-C, VLDL-C, hepatic and aortic TG and TC. The atherogenic, triglycerides, and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) index were also decreased in the rats treated with the plant extract. C. occidentalis favoured the performance of faecal cholesterol. It also significantly inhibited the changes and the formation of aortic atherosclerotic plaques.ConclusionThis study provides evidence of hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects of C. occidentalis extract. C. occidenntalis aqueous extract reduced bad cholesterols, triglycerides and increasing good cholesterols in rats subjected to a feeding regime enriched with cholesterol. The results support the traditional use of the extract of this plant in the treatment of hypertension and diabetes.
Highlights
Hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress are major risk factors for atherosclerosis, and all three are among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
A huge body of population based and experimental evidence shows that high levels of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL-c) cholesterol and total cholesterol considerably increase the risk for developing atherosclerosis and associated arterial hypertension [5, 6]
At a daily dose of 320 mg/kg y = −5.67x + 264.2, r2 = 0.95, and animals that received the extract at a dose 400 mg/kg, have seen their body weight decreased from 268.33 ± 0.82 g/rat to 247.66 ± 3.68 g/rat in week 1 and from 247.66 ± 3.68 g/rat to 199.77 ± 3.87 g/rat in week 4, leading to a decrease of 8.34% and 34.31% respectively with the slope y = −9.83x + 271.1, r2 = 0.98 (Fig. 1)
Summary
Hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress are major risk factors for atherosclerosis, and all three are among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress are major risk factors for atherosclerosis, and all three are among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and conditions [1, 2]. A huge body of population based and experimental evidence shows that high levels of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL-c) cholesterol and total cholesterol considerably increase the risk for developing atherosclerosis and associated arterial hypertension [5, 6]. The assumption of responsibility of the hypercholesterolemia in reduction of mortality as well as which has occurred of the events cardio/neurovasculaires, this via the reduction in the blood concentration of cholesterol related to the lipoproteins of low density (LDL-c). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) reduction is correlated with the magnitude of cardiovascular risks reduction
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