title: The effect of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L) seeds and L-arginine supplementation on serum lipid concentrations in atherogenic rats.
abstract: The present study aimed to examine the effect of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seeds supplementation on atherogenic diet-induced atherosclerosis. Rat were divided into two main groups , normal control and atherogenic control rats , each group composed of three subgroups one of them supplemented with 2% arginine in drinking water and the other supplemented with pumpkin seeds in diet at a concentration equivalent to 2% arginine. Supplementation continued for 37 days. Atherogenic rats supplemented with pumpkin seeds showed a significant decrease (p<0.001) in their serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL - C as they dropped from 4.89 mmol / L to 2.55 mmol /L and from 3.33 mmol / L to 0.70 mmol / L respectively. Serum concentrations of HDL-C were also significantly elevated in the same group. Although, atherogenic rats supplemented with 2% arginine showed significant increase in serum concentration of HDL-C, no significant changes were observed in their serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-C. Our results showed that treatment of atherogenic rats with pumpkin seeds significantly decreased serum concentrations of TC and LDL-C. Our findings suggest that pumpkin seeds supplementation has a protective effect against atherogenic rats and this protective effect was not attributed to the high arginine concentrations in pumpkin seeds.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, King Saud University P.O.Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. gassim@ksu.edu.sa
authors: Abuelgassim O
authors: AO
authors: Abuelgassim
authors: Showayman I A
authors: SI
authors: Al-showayman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D028464:Cucurbita; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D028321:Plant Preparations; D001120:Arginine; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: C-reactive protein; arginine; atherosclerosis; cholesterol; low density lipoprotein; nitric oxide
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