Antioxidant effect of Triticum aestivium (wheat grass) in high-fat diet-induced oxidative stress in rabbits.
Wheat grass is used as a general health tonic and is reported to be effective against several medical disorders, although detailed literature is not available. Besides drug therapy, a number of medicinal plants are effective in treating hyperlipidemia. This study examined the effects of wheat grass on high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in rabbits. Thirty rabbits were divided into 3 groups of 10 rabbits each, group I receiving a control diet, group II a high-fat diet and group III a high-fat diet together with wheat grass over a period of 10 weeks. Fasting serum samples from the animals were analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamin C, and the results were compared. The high-fat diet resulted in hyperlipidemia and an increase in oxidative stress, indicated by a significant rise in MDA levels, whereas antioxidant levels of GSH and vitamin C were significantly reduced. Wheat grass supplementation with a high-fat diet resulted in improved lipid levels (decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL-C) together with significantly reduced MDA levels and increased GSH and vitamin C levels. These results indicate the beneficial role of wheat grass in ameliorating hyperlipidemia and the associated oxidative stress.
Department of Physiology, Pt.B.D.Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India. dr_jyotisethi@rediffmail.com
J
J
Sethi
M
M
Yadav
K
K
Dahiya
S
S
Sood
V
V
Singh
S B
SB
Bhattacharya
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*
D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D028321:Plant Preparations; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid