Abstract
Hyperlipidemia has remained a major risk factor in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases and research efforts have been geared toward proffering remedies through diet and nutrition inherent in potent herbaceous plants. This study therefore investigated the effect of ethanol extract of the leaves of <i>Colocasia esculenta</i> on the serum lipid profile of male Albino rats as well as phytochemicals of ethnomedicinal importance. A total of 18 rats divided into three groups of 6 rats each were engaged in the investigation. The first group (baseline) was sacrificed after purchase; second group (control) was fed rat chow, and the third group (test) was fed a composite feed containing rat chow and 5% extract of <i>C. esculenta</i> leaves. The lipid profile total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerols (TAG), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) of the rats were assayed after 21 days of feeding and the result showed a significant difference (<i>p</i><0.05) between the test and control groups for the lipids assayed. The extracts of <i>C. esculenta</i> reduced TC and LDL levels significantly (<i>p</i><0.05) from 4.01±2.28 in control to 0.31±0.25mmol/L in the test for TC and then from 1.53±1.19 in the control to 0.07±0.04mmol/L in the test for LDL. This indicates that the leaves of this plant have a very high tendency to be protective against cardiovascular diseases. However, there was a marked increase in the TAG level of the test group (2.37±0.84mmol/L) compared to the control group (0.22±0.18mmol/L). This was nevertheless found to be not significant (<i>p</i>>0.05) but indicates the possibility for enhancement of TAG synthesis by the leaves of <i>C. esculenta</i>. Phytochemical screening showed a rich array of plant metabolites including flavonoids, saponins, tannins and alkaloids which may contribute to the hypolipidemic effects of ethanol extract of the plant. Further investigations may require identifying and characterizing the phytochemicals responsible for the overall role of the plant in folklore medicine.
Highlights
Hyperlipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor in the pathogenesis of most cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)
From the results obtained a significant decrease (p
The results showed that there was significant decrease (p
Summary
Hyperlipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor in the pathogenesis of most cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). CVDs account for approximately 71% mortality attributed to communicable diseases globally with an estimated 17.9 million persons representing 31% of all global deaths occurring only in 2016 [1]. Hyperlipidemia refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by an excess of blood lipids such as cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides These blood lipids, which are water insoluble organic compounds are essential for many normal physiological activities of living organisms as important components of cell membranes and energy stores. They play significant roles as enzyme cofactors, hormones and intracellular messengers [2]. Increasing numbers of people in the developing countries, including
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