Protective effect of dietary fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds and garlic (Allium sativum) on induced oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in rats.
BACKGROUND
Dietary fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and garlic (Allium sativum) have been previously observed to have cardioprotective influence in experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rats. Since low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation is a key factor in the arteriosclerotic process, we evaluated their potential in minimizing the LDL oxidation in rats.


METHODS
Fenugreek seeds, garlic, and their combination were included along with a high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks.


RESULTS
Iron-induced oxidation of LDL in vivo was considerably lowered by dietary fenugreek and garlic. The extent of copper-induced oxidation of isolated LDL in vitro was also signiﬁcantly lesser in fenugreek-fed or fenugreek+garlic-fed rats. Anodic electrophoretic mobility of the oxidized LDL on agarose gel in case of spice-fed animals was decreased and hence consistent with the observed protective inﬂuence on LDL oxidation. Dietary fenugreek, garlic, and their combination significantly lowered lipid peroxide levels in plasma, liver, and heart in iron (II)-administered rats. The results suggest that these two dietary spices have protective effect on LDL oxidation under normal situation as well as in hypercholesterolemic situation. The protective effect of the combination of dietary fenugreek and garlic on LDL oxidation both in vivo and in vitro was greater than that of the individual spices.


CONCLUSIONS
The protective effect of dietary fenugreek and garlic on LDL oxidation both in vivo and in vitro as evidenced in the present study is suggestive of their cardioprotective potential since LDL oxidation is a key factor in the arteriosclerotic process.
Puttaswamy
P
Mukthamba
Krishnapura
K
Srinivasan
D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds; D029910:Trigonella / Q000737:chemistry*
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D010936:Plant Extracts; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D003300:Copper