title: Ameliorative effects of herbal combinations in hyperlipidemia.
abstract: The roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, Withania somnifera, Asparagus racemosus, and Chlorophytum borivilianum and seeds of Sesamum indicum are ayurvedic medicinal plants used in India to treat several ailments. Our previous studies indicated that these plants possess hypolipidemic and antioxidant potential. The present study was aimed at investigating the composite effects of these plants on hypercholesterolemic rats. Three different combinations (5 gm%, given for four weeks) used in this study effectively reduced plasma and hepatic lipid profiles and increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, neutral sterol, and bile acid along with increasing the hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity and bile acid content in hypercholesterolemic rats. Further, all three combinations also improved the hepatic antioxidant status (catalase, SOD, and ascorbic acid levels) and plasma total antioxidant capacity with reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation. Overall, combination I had the maximum effect on hypercholesterolemic rats followed by combinations II and III due to varying concentrations of the different classes of phytocomponents.
authors.affiliation: BRD School of Biosciences, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, India.
authors.forename: Nishant P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Visavadiya
authors.forename: A V R L
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Narasimhacharya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D027761:Asparagus Plant / Q000737:chemistry; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000737:chemistry; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000378:metabolism; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D031685:Sesamum / Q000737:chemistry; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D032341:Withania / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid