Antihypercholesterolemic activity of ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea in rats.

BACKGROUND Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterised with high level of cholesterol in the blood. OBJECTIVES The effect of ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea (EEBC) on the lipid profile levels and extent of lipid peroxidation in hypercholesterolemic albino rats was investigated in this study. METHODS Thirty albino rats were divided into six different groups which consist of group 1 (control), group 2 (hypercholesterolemic rats), group 3 (hypercholesterolemic rats treated with ethanolic extract of EEBC), group 4 (hypercholesterolemic rats treated with questran), group 5 (normal rats treated with EEBC) and group 6 (normal rats treated with questran). The rats were sacrificed at the end of the sixth week and assay conducted for Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alanine Transaminase (ALT), lipid profile and biomarker of oxidative stress. RESULTS The serum and liver total cholesterol and LDL - cholesterol levels as well as lipid peroxidation in the EEBC-treated hypercholesterolemic rats were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when compared with the untreated hypercholesterolemic rats. The activities of AST and ALT in EEBC - treated hypercholesterolemic rats were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the control. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that Buchholzia coriacea seeds contain potent antihypercholesterolemic agent which may find clinical application in ameliorating hypercholesterolemia and its attendant complications.