Anti-hyperlipidemic effect of methanol bark extract of Terminalia chebula in male albino Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND

Hyperlipidemia is known to be a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) which include atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Although there are a large number of anti-hyperlipidemic drugs available, unfortunately, they all have side effects.

OBJECTIVE

Terminalia chebula Retz. (Combretaceae) is a plant used to treat cardiac disorders in the traditional Ayurveda medicine in India. The objective of this study was to assess the anti-hyperlipidemic properties of a methanol (MeOH) bark extract of T. chebula.

METHODS

Acute toxicity studies were performed according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline no. 423 using various doses (5, 50, 300, and 2000 mg/kg) of T. chebula bark. Anti-hyperlipidemic effect of MeOH bark extract of T. chebula at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg and fasting glucose levels after treatment with MeOH bark extract of T. chebula at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg were analyzed using commercially available kits.

RESULTS

Acute toxicity studies did not show any morbidity and mortality at various doses. The MeOH extract of T. chebula bark at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg significantly lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Moreover, the extract of T. chebula and the positive control atorvastatin-treated groups of animals showed a significant increase in the serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic animals.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall results confirm that the bark extract of T. chebula possesses significant anti-hyperlipidemic activity.