Int J Med Sci 2016; 13(11):819-824. doi:10.7150/ijms.16474 This issue Cite
Research Paper
1. Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kuang Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
3. Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
4. Emergency department and center of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Taichung Taiwan
5. Department of Psychiatry, Chung Shan Medical Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
6. Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Health Care and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
7. Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
8. Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
9. Graduate Institute of Chinese Medical Science, School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
10. Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
*These authors contributed equally to this work
Objectives: Hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis and related diseases which are major health problem in many developed and developing countries that can lead to fatality due to the changes in lifestyle and dietary habits in this modern age.
Methods: In the present study, the Ocimum gratissimum aqueous extract (OGE) was tested for the lowering effect on the serum lipid level of male hamsters on a high-fat (12%) and high-cholesterol (0.2%) diet (HFCD).
Results: The results showed that the levels of serum high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerols (TG) were increased in the HFCD group (113±11, 259±87, 629±175 and 625±262, respectively), as compared to the control normal diet group (51±8, 19±5, 77±16 and 101±44, respectively). When co-treated with various doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) of the OGE or rosuvastatin, the rats exhibited the restoration of normal serum LDL-C, TC, and TG levels.
Conclusion: Therefore, we suggest that the Ocimum gratissimum aqueous extract may have the potential function of lowering serum lipid in rats.
Keywords: Ocimum gratissimum, cholesterol, Hyperlipidemia