title: Hypericum silenoides Juss. and Hypericum philonotis Cham. & Schlecht. extracts: in-vivo hypolipidaemic and weight-reducing effects in obese rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to assess the anti-obesity effect of Hypericum silenoides Juss. and Hypericum philonotis Cham. & Schlecht. in male Wistar rats fed with a cafeteria diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Wistar rats with an initial body weight of 290-320 g were used in this trial. The rats were fed with a cafeteria diet for 77 days. Hypericum species were administered orally at a dose of 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg of body weight daily for 35 days. Body weight, food intake, anorexic effect and various biochemical parameters, such as serum glucose, lipid profile, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and atherogenic index (AI), were assessed. Additionally, inhibitory lipase activity assay and forced swimming test were also carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral administration of H. silenoides and H. philonotis extracts resulted in a significant decrease in body weight and serum glucose levels in obese male Wistar rats. Treatment with aqueous extract of H. silenoides showed anorexic and antidepressant effects and also significantly (P < 0.05) decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, while low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, AI, AST and ALT were not changed. The dichloromethane extract of H. silenoides (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ ) = 262.79 ± 0.09 μg/ml) and hexane extract of H. philonotis (IC₅₀  = 162.60 ± 0.02 μg/ml) showed the most potent lipase inhibitory activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some H. silenoides and H. philonotis extracts showed a significant anti-obesity activity in cafeteria-diet-fed rats. This research provides the first scientific support for the use of the Hypericum genus for weight reduction in Mexican folk medicine.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-de la Cruz
authors.forename: Yareth
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Galvan-Goiz
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caballero-Caballero
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zamudio
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Navarrete
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008049:Lipase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008049:Lipase