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Possible anti‐atherogenic effect of kolaviron (a Garcinia kola seed extract) in hypercholesterolaemic rats
Author(s) -
Adaramoye OA,
Nwaneri VO,
Anyanwu KC,
Farombi EO,
Emerole GO
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2005.04146.x
Subject(s) - garcinia kola , traditional medicine , pharmacology , materia medica , chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
SUMMARY 1. The hypolipidaemic effect of kolaviron, a mixture of Garcinia biflavonoid 1 (GB1), Garcinia biflavonoid 2 (GB2) and kolaflavanone, used in the treatment of various ailments in southern Nigeria, was investigated in rats. The ability of Questran (Bristol‐Myers Squibb, Hounslow, UK), a hypolipidaemic therapeutic drug, to attenuate hypercholesterolaemia in rats was also examined. 2. In order to assess the hypolipidaemic effect of this extract in experimental animals, thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS), cholesterol, phospholipid, low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL‐C), high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined in the plasma and liver. 3. Cholesterol administered orally to rats at a dose of 30 mg/0.3 mL five times a week for 8 consecutive weeks resulted in a significant increase ( P < 0.001) in the relative weight of the heart of hypercholesterolaemic animals compared with control. However, cotreatment with kolaviron and Questran ameliorated the cholesterol‐induced enlargement of the heart. Kolaviron (100 and 200 mg/kg) elicited 88.5 and 87.4% reductions, respectively, in plasma cholesterol levels of pretreated animals compared with the cholesterol‐fed group. In addition, kolaviron produced a significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in post‐mitochondrial fraction (PMF) cholesterol levels in treated animals compared with untreated hypercholesterolaemic animals. Similarly, Questran significantly decreased ( P < 0.05) the cholesterol‐induced increase in plasma cholesterol levels compared with untreated hypercholesterolaemic animals. In addition, (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly ( P < 0.05) decreased plasma LDL‐C levels by over 70% in treated animals compared with untreated hypercholesterolaemic animals. Similarly, kolaviron significantly decreased ( P < 0.05) PMF LDL‐C levels by over 60% in treated animals compared with untreated hypercholesterolaemic animals. 4. The significantly ( P < 0.05) higher values of plasma and PMF triglycerides obtained in cholesterol‐fed animals compared with control animals were unaltered following cotreatment with kolaviron and Questran. In the present study, there was a significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in plasma formation of malondialdehyde in kolaviron‐ and Questran‐treated animals compared with untreated hypercholesterolaemic animals. 5. The results of the present study demonstrate that kolaviron exerts a hypocholesterolaemic effect and reduces the relative weight of the heart in cholesterol‐fed animals. This reduction and the favourable lipid profile indicate a possible anti‐atherogenic property of the extract.