Otunola Gloria A, Oloyede H Oyelola B, Oladiji Adenike T and Afolayan Anthony J
Keywords: Diet-hypercholesterolemia, lipid profile, mixture, spices, synergistic.
Abstract: This study evaluated the effect of aqueous extracts of garlic, ginger, pepper and their mixture on diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Hypercholesterolemia was induced using a diet containing 1% cholesterol and 25% soybean oil. Thirty six rats of Wistar strain weighing 168±10g were randomly distributed into six groups of six rats each- Group 1: control rats fed on the standard chow, group 2 rats fed on hypercholesterolemic diet and water only, while groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 were rats fed the hypercholesterolemic diet and orally with 0.5 ml of 200 mg/kg body weight extracts each of garlic, ginger, pepper and their mixture respectively for four weeks. At the end of 4 weeks, various biochemical indices as appropriate in the blood, liver and feaces of the rats were investigated. Significant reductions (P<0.05) in the weights, high organ/body weight ratio, atherogenic index (AI) and significantly (P<0.05) elevated lipid profile in the serum of hypercholesterolemic rats compared with the control rats was observed. Weights of rats treated with any of the spices or their mixture was significantly (P<0.05) elevated, increased feacal output of cholesterol and triglycerides in the last three days of the experiment in all the treated rats also indicated that administration of the spice extracts especially of the spice mixture led to significant (P<0.05) increased excretion of lipids. Use of these spices in the diet especially as a mixture, may therefore, ameliorate or prevent hypercholesterolemia in rats.
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