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This paper aims to investigate the preventive effects of a concomitant supplementation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of Globularia alypum (Ga) leaves in a high cholesterol-diet (HC-D) on lipid profile and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity in hypercholesterolemic rats.

Twenty-four male Wistar rats weighing 232 ± 10 g were divided into four groups (n = 6). Two control groups were fed a standard-diet (St-D) supplemented (C-Ga) or not (C) with 1.66% Ga leaf extract. The two others experimental groups were fed HC-D, which contains the St-D plus 1% of cholesterol and 0.5% of cholic acid supplemented (HC-Ga) or not (HC) with the same amount of Ga. At d28, feces were collected and fasting rats were anesthetized; bloods and livers were removed to measure biochemical parameters.

In hypercholesterolemic (HC) rats, Ga supplementation in HC-D induced a significant reduction in ALT (−64%, p = 0.002) and AST (−71%; p = 0.005) activities, in plasma TC (−55%; p = 0.03) and TG (−54%; p = 0.01) concentrations, in cholesterol contents of atherogenic lipoproteins VLDL (−78%; p = 0.004) and LDL-HDL1 (−64%; p = 0.003) and inversely, an increase in those of anti-atherogenic HDL2 (+14%; p = 0.002). Feeding the HC-D-Ga exhibited a reduction in atherogenic index Apo B/Apo A-I (−72%; p = 0.002), an increase in faecal lipids, cholesterol excretion and in plasma apo A-I (+60%; p = 0.002) and HDL2-cholesteryl esters (+32%, p = 0.04) and then improved LCAT activity (+31%; p = 0.03).

In hypercholesterolemic rats, Globularia alypum extract was effective in preventing lipid disorders by its hypolipidemic action, had an anti-atherogenic potential and a protective effect against cardiovascular risk by enhancing LCAT activity.

This study aims to examine whether Globularia alypum (Ga) lyophilized aqueous leaves extract treatment improves cardiometabolic syndromes such as hyperglycemia, lipid profiles and oxidative damage resulting from a high-fructose diet induced in hypertriglyceridemic rats.

A total of 24 male Wistar rats weighing 80 ± 5 g were first randomly divided into 2 groups. A total of 12 control rats (C) were fed a standard-diet (St-D) and 12 high fructose (HF) rats were fed a high-fructose diet (HF-D) containing St-D in which cornstarch was substituted by fructose (61.4%). After 15 weeks of feeding, body weight (BW) was about 320 ± 20 g and hypertriglyceridemia was noted in HF vs C group (2.69 ± 0.49 mmol/L) vs (1.25 ± 0.33 mmol/L). Each group of rats was then divided into two equal groups (n = 6) and fed during four weeks either a St-D or HF-D, treated or not with 1% of Ga extract (C-Ga) and (HF-Ga). After 28 days, fasting rats were anesthetized and blood and tissues were removed to measure biochemical parameters.

The results showed no significant differences in BW and insulinemia between all groups. Ga extract supplementation reduced glycemia (−36%), glycosylated hemoglobin (−37%), Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance index (−34%) and triacylglycerol’s contents in plasma (−33%), very low density lipoproteins–low density lipoproteins (VLDL-LDL) (−48%), liver (−52%) and aorta (−39%); total cholesterol concentrations in aorta was 3.7-fold lower in HF-Ga vs HF group. Ga treatment reduced lipid peroxidation in plasma, VLDL-LDL, red blood cells (RBC), liver, muscle and kidney by improving superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in RBC and catalase (CAT) activity in kidney (p < 0.05). Moreover, Ga ameliorates glutathione (GSH) production in RBC (+41%) and kidney tissues (+35%).

Ga extract ameliorated cardiometabolic syndrome by its hypotriglyceridemic effect and prevented development of insulin resistance. It reduces lipid peroxidation by enhancing non-enzymatic (GSH) and enzymatic (SOD, GPx and CAT) antioxidant defense systems in high-fructose hypertriglyceridemic rats. Therefore, supplementation of Ga leaves extract as an adjuvant could be used for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and the prevention and/or the management of cardio-metabolic adverse effects.

This study aims to investigate the possible effect of Citrus latifolia (CL) extract on biomarkers of oxidative stress, including lipid peroxidation products in rats fed a high cholesterol diet

Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding normocholesterolemic rats 1 per cent cholesterol-enriched diet for 15 days. An experimental group (n = 20) was divided into two groups (n = 10) and fed the same diet with or without CL lyophilized aqueous extract (1 per cent) for four weeks. At day 28, ten rats from each group were killed.

Treatment with CL lyophilized aqueous extract compared with the untreated group had decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) (−36 per cent), triacylglycerols (−48 per cent), isoprostanes values (−74 per cent) and reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in erythrocytes (−21 per cent). However, the supplementation of CL peels in the hypercholesterolemic diet enhanced superoxide dismutase (+69 per cent), glutathione reductase (+30 per cent) and catalase activities (+34 per cent).

In hypercholesterolemic rats, administering CL extract ameliorates dyslipidemia and attenuates lipid peroxidation in tissues. These results suggest that CL could be beneficial in the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia and oxidative damage caused by a high-cholesterol diet.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of flaxseed (L. usitatissimum [Linn]) on blood pressure, redox status markers and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity in ouabain-induced hypertension in normal Wistar rats.

Male Wistar rats weighing 250 ± 7 g (n = 24) fed with an experimental diet containing 20 per cent casein were divided into three groups (n = 8) and received a daily subcutaneous injection of either 0.9 per cent saline solution (T group) or 10 µg/kg/day of ouabain diluted in saline solution-treated Oub-Lu or not with 1 per cent of flaxseed (L. usitatissimum) mixed in the diet for 21 days.

The results showed that treatment with flaxseed had a significant effect (p < 0.05) in decreasing systolic, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and the heart rate in hypertensive rats. Total and non-HDL cholesterol levels were reduced by –26 and –35 per cent; p = 0.04, respectively. Concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were significantly decreased by –85 and –42 per cent (p = 0.001 and p = 0.04), respectively in the plasma and heart. Nitric oxide levels were increased in the aorta (+ 63 per cent; p = 0.001). Moreover, in the heart and aorta, a significant increase was noted in the thiol contents (+81 and +69 per cent; p = 0.001, respectively), glutathione peroxidase (+50 per cent; p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively) and acetylcholinesterase activities (75 and +19 per cent, respectively; p = 0.001 and p = 0.04).

These results suggest hypotensive, cardiomoderating and antioxidant effects of flaxseed in ouabain-induced hypertension in the rat. In addition, it promotes a significant increase of the acetylcholinesterase activity in tissues.