title: Hypolipidemic, antioxidant and anti-atherosclerogenic effects of aqueous extract of Zanthoxylum heitzii stem bark in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate anti-dyslipidemic, antioxidant and anti-atherosclerogenic properties of this extract in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rat, a model of metabolic syndrome-induced atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normocholesterolemic (NC) male rats were divided into six groups (n=10) and fed a high-cholesterol (HC) diet for 30 days (5 groups), or normal rat chow (normal control group). Rats given a HC diet also received distilled water (disease control), the potent hypocholesterolemic agent with anti-atherosclerotic activity atorvastatin (2 mg/kg, positive control), or one of the three doses of Zanthoxylum heitzii stem bark aqueous extract tested (225, 300 and 375 mg/kg) concomitantly for four months. Signs of general toxicity, body temperature and weight, and water and food intake were monitored in live animals. After sacrifice, lipid profiles and oxidative stress markers were assessed in the blood and liver, aorta, and feces, and histopathological analysis of aorta was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plant extract prevented the elevation of aortic total cholesterol and triglycerides, and hepatic low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was decreased and aortic atherosclerotic plaque formation prevented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations strongly suggest that stem bark aqueous extract of Zanthoxylum heitzii has anti-atherosclerogenic properties, at least partly mediated by antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Electronic address: ntchapda71@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Fidele
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ntchapda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Kakesse
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maguirgue
authors.affiliation: Department of neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montréal, 2960, Chemin de la Tour, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, Montréal, Québec Canada, H3T 1J4.
authors.forename: Hamadjida
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adjia
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Paul Faustin Seke
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Etet
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Théophile
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dimo
keywords: Anti-atherosclerogenic; Antioxidant; Hypocholesterolemic; Hypolipidemic; Plant extract; Zanthoxylum heitzii