Improvement on lipid abnormalities in diabetes by Eryngium carlinae

The diabetes mellitus increases the risk of suffering atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. As a result of hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency occur disturbances in lipid metabolism. Previously, we reported that the ethanol extract of E. carlinae was able to normalize the levels of total cholesterol and TAG in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. This study fractionates and analyses the extract composition with the purpose of identifying potential compounds responsible for hypolipidemic effect. Determinations were performed on blood lipid profile. The activity of HMG‐CoA reductase and the LDL receptor levels (LDL‐r) in liver was analyzed. Our results were compared with a hypolipidemic drug. The results indicated that the extract of E. carlinae decreased TAG, total cholesterol, non‐HDL‐cholesterol and increased HDL‐cholesterol levels in serum to levels equal or even better than atorvastatin. The determinations of the activity of HMG‐CoA reductase and LDL‐r levels in diabetic rats were not modified by the extract consumption, indicating that the hypolipidemic effect observed was not due to the inhibition of the cholesterol biosynthesis as it occurs with atorvastatin, but possibly acting at the intestinal absorption level. In this study we reported that one of the identified compounds in the extract is stigmasterol, and it decreases the absorption of dietary cholesterol by competing with it. However, the exact mechanism should be clarified in later works. Acknowledgements: The authors appreciate the partial economic support from the Mexican grants: CIC‐UMSNH (2.16, to ASM); CONACYT (169093, to ASM).