Effect of fruits of Moringa oleifera on the lipid profile of normal and hypercholesterolaemic rabbits

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 86; no. 2; pp. 191 - 195
• Main Authors: Mehta, Komal, Balaraman, R., Amin, A.H., Bafna, P.A., Gulati, O.D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Fruit; General pharmacology; Hypercholesterolemia - diet therapy; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Hypolipidaemic effect; Hypolipidemic Agents - therapeutic use; Lipids - blood; Lovastatin; Lovastatin - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Moringa oleifera; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Prevention of atherosclerosis; Rabbits; Hypolipidaemic effect; Lovastatin; Moringa oleifera; Cholesterol; Prevention of atherosclerosis; Rabbit; Phospholipid; Medicinal plant; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Atherosclerosis; Moringaceae; Phytotherapy; Fruit; Oral administration; Lagomorpha; Triglyceride; Biological activity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Treatment; Animal; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Antilipemic agent
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8741(03)00075-8

Rabbits were fed Moringa oleifera (200 mg/kg/day, p.o.) or lovastatin (6 mg/kg/day, p.o.) in banana pulp along with standard laboratory diet and hypercholesterolaemic diet for 120 days. Moringa oleifera and lovastatin were found to lower the serum cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL, cholesterol to phospholipid ratio and atherogenic index, but were found to increase the HDL ratio (HDL/HDL-total cholesterol) as compared to the corresponding control groups. Treatment with M. oleifera or lovastatin in normal rabbits decreased the HDL levels. However, HDL levels were significantly increased or decreased in M. oleifera- or lovastatin-treated hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, respectively. Lovastatin- or M. oleifera-treated hypercholesterolaemic rabbits showed decrease in lipid profile of liver, heart and aorta while similar treatment of normal animals did not produce significant reduction in heart. Moringa oleifera was found to increase the excretion of faecal cholesterol. Thus, the study demonstrates that M. oleifera possesses a hypolipidaemic effect.