Antioxidant effect of aqueous extract of the bark of Ficus bengalensis in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits.

The antioxidant effect of aqueous extract of the bark of Ficus bengalensis has been evaluated in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits. Rabbits were divided into three groups, Group I served as healthy control; groups II and III were made hypercholesterolaemic by feeding cholesterol suspended in groundnut oil (100 mg/kg body weight per day) for 6 weeks. Rabbits of Group III received water extract of the bark of Ficus bengalensis at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight per day in addition to cholesterol suspended in oil. Feeding cholesterol increased serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol and LDL + VLDL-cholesterol significantly in Group II as compared to Group I (P = 0.001). Treatment with water extract decreased the serum cholesterol level by 59%, triacylglycerol by 54% and LDL + VLDL-cholesterol by 60% in Group III as compared to Group II. In addition, treatment with this extract led to a decrease in lipid peroxidation as evidenced by fall in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances with a corresponding increase in blood glutathione content (P = 0.001). Further, there was significant increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (P < 0.001), catalase (P < 0.03), glutathione peroxidase (P = 0.03) and glutathione reductase (P < 0.01); which were depressed in Group II rabbits after cholesterol feeding. Thus, our results show that the water extract of the bark of Ficus bengalensis has significant antioxidant effect, in addition to hypolipidaemic effect.