Hypocholesterolaemic effects of Terminalia arjuna tree bark

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 165 - 169
• Main Authors: Ram, Alpana, Lauria, P., Gupta, Rajeev, Kumar, Pradeep, Sharma, V.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.02.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Atherosclerosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Coronary heart disease; Diet, Atherogenic; General pharmacology; Herbal medicine; human health and safety; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Kidney - drug effects; Liver - drug effects; Medical sciences; medicine; nonfood plant products; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rabbits; Trees; Asia; India; Herbal medicine; Coronary heart disease; Cholesterol; Atherosclerosis; Pharmacognosy; Bark; Rabbit; Lagomorpha; Biological activity; Medicinal plant; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Folk medicine; Combretaceae; Dicotyledones; Animal; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Antilipemic agent
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8741(96)01493-6

Diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rabbits were given 50% ethanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna tree bark in doses of 100 mg/kg (Group B, n = 6) and 500 mg/kg (Group C, n = 6) and compared with controls (Group A). At 60 days of intervention in Groups A, B and C mean ± S.E.M. total cholesterol was 574 ± 61, 320 ± 29 and 217 ± 44 mg/dl, respectively (P < 0.01); LDL cholesterol was 493 ± 57, 271 ± 30 and 162 ± 44 mg/dl (P < 0.01); HDL cholesterol was 59 ± 7, 36 ± 3 and 35 ± 4 mg/dl (P = n.s.); triglyceride was 108 ± 13, 67 ± 6 and 101 ± 26 mg/dl (P = n.s.); cholesterol/HDL ratio was 10.1 ± 1.3, 9.2 ± 1.1 and 6.1 ± 1.0 (P = n.s.); and LDL/HDL ratio was 8.7 ± 1.3, 7.8 ± 1.1 and 4.5 ± 1.0 (P < 0.01). The extract did not adversely affect biochemical tests of liver and renal function and haematological parameters.