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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 paper aims to evaluate the Phytochemical Composition, anti-obesity, anti-antipyretic and analgesic effect of Ephedra alata (Ea) extracts.

Obesity was induced in male Wistar rats through a high-fat/fructose diet (HF/FD). Control rats received a standard diet.

Results of this study showed that the Ea methanol extract (MEEa) exhibited a prominent selective inhibitory effect against lipase activity (IC50 = 1.29 mg/ml) as compared to water and ethyl acetate extracts (with IC50 = 1.63 and 1.89, respectively). Also, MEEa exert antipyretic and analgesic activities. In high-fat-high-fructose diet rats, the administration of MEEa inhibited lipase activity in the intestine, pancreas and serum by 53%, 40% and 53%, respectively. It was found to significantly decrease body weight by 20% (p = 0.09) and delay the absorption of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and increase HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). In addition, MEEa efficiently decreased a-amylase activity in the intestine, pancreas and serum by 43%, 26% and 46%, respectively, and blood glucose level by 35% (p = 0.06).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time that MEEa are efficient in preventing obesity and hyperglycemia, pain and fever.