Antihypercholesterolemic effect of Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc (Fabaceae) extract on high-fat diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in Sprague-Dawley rats.

OBJECTIVE

The present study evaluated the antihypercholesterolemic effect of Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc extract by examining its effects on food consumption, weight gain, serum lipid profile, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transamianse (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), and body fat in rats.

METHODS

Animals were fed with experimental high-fat diets (HFD) that contain 10% lard plus, 5% corn oil. Food intake and body weight were measured. Serum samples were analyzed for the estimation of lipid profiles and other biochemical parameters by using kits.

RESULTS

The consumption of ethanol and water extract of experimental plant for 5 weeks caused the decrease in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) SGOT and SGPT significantly (p < .01), and increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly (p < .01). The rat group fed with HFD has shown higher serum TC, TG, LDL, VLDL, SGOT, SGPT, and lower HDL than in the normal control group (p < .01). Fecal excretion of cholesterol in the ethanol extract-treated groups was significantly higher than those treated with water extract. Body weight in the water extract-treated groups was significantly lower than that in the ethanol extract-treated groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that M. uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc extracts have strong activities against hypercholesterolemia and obesity suggesting a potential usefulness of M. uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc extracts as functional ingredients.