Effect of fruits of Moringa oleifera on the lipid profile of normal and hypercholesterolaemic rabbits.
Rabbits were fed Moringa oleifera (200mg/kg/day, p.o.) or lovastatin (6mg/kg/day, p.o.) in banana pulp along with standard laboratory diet and hypercholesterolaemic diet for 120 days. Moringa oleifera and lovastatin were found to lower the serum cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL, cholesterol to phospholipid ratio and atherogenic index, but were found to increase the HDL ratio (HDL/HDL-total cholesterol) as compared to the corresponding control groups. Treatment with M. oleifera or lovastatin in normal rabbits decreased the HDL levels. However, HDL levels were significantly increased or decreased in M. oleifera- or lovastatin-treated hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, respectively. Lovastatin- or M. oleifera-treated hypercholesterolaemic rabbits showed decrease in lipid profile of liver, heart and aorta while similar treatment of normal animals did not produce significant reduction in heart. Moringa oleifera was found to increase the excretion of faecal cholesterol. Thus, the study demonstrates that M. oleifera possesses a hypolipidaemic effect.
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Technology and Engineering, The M.S. University of Baroda, Kalabhavan, Gujarat, India.
Komal
K
Mehta
R
R
Balaraman
A H
AH
Amin
P A
PA
Bafna
O D
OD
Gulati
D000818:Animals; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005638:Fruit; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D029588:Moringa oleifera; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011817:Rabbits
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D028321:Plant Preparations; D008148:Lovastatin