title: The lipid-lowering effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin, a clerodane diterpene from Croton cajucara Benth. in mice fed on high-fat diet.
abstract: The clerodane diterpene trans-dehydrocrotonin extracted and isolated from the stem bark of Croton cajucara Benth. was investigated for its lipid-lowering effect in mice fed on a high-fat diet. Mice fed on a high-fat diet for a two-week period demonstrated significantly increased blood levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, compared with normal controls. Oral treatment with trans-dehydrocrotonin at a dose of 25 or 50 mg kg(-1) daily markedly suppressed the high-fat-diet associated rise in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The hypocholesterolaemic effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin was more prominent at the dose of 50 mg kg(-1) with significant decreases in high-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The lower atherogenic index of the trans-dehydrocrotonin-treated groups suggests the hypolipidaemic potential of this plant-based drug. These results indicate that orally administered trans-dehydrocrotonin is effective in suppressing high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidaemia in mice and suggest its likely beneficial use as anti-atherogenic agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004224:Diterpenes; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; C103060:dehydrocrotonin; D002784:Cholesterol