Amelioration of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis risk index by Moringa oleifera leaf extract

Hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis are among major health risk concerns. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible improving potentials of Moringa oleifera extract (MOE), in hydroethanol 30%, on lipid metabolic profile in hyperlipidemic rat model. Rats were rendered hyperlipidemic by 6-week supplementation of high-fat diet ad libitum. Rats were assigned into six groups; with different treatments (group-1 received normal diet and kept as normal control; group-2 were fed high-fat (cholesterol 2% + coconut oil 2%) diet for 6 weeks and kept as diseased control; group-3 were kept on high-fat diet but received ezetimibe (1 mg/Kg, orally, daily) and kept as standard; while rats of groups-4, -5 and -6 were kept on high-fat diet and received MOE at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/Kg, orally, daily, and kept as treated groups. Blood samples for serum were taken for clinicochemical analysis on the days 21 (3 weeks) and 42 (6 weeks) of the experiment and tissue specimens from the aorta were taken for histopathology. MOE extract significantly (P<0.05) decreased the elevated serum lipid parameters, including total lipids, tri-acylglycerols (TAGs), cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C, but significantly (P<0.05) normalized the serum HDL-C concentrations of rats kept on high-fat diet. Administration of MOE significantly improved atherosclerotic index in samples taken from animals kept on high-fat diet compared to the diseased untreated ones. Histopathological examination of the aortic specimens revealed down accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall. These data may give scientific evidence that MOE has a good improving potential on hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis disease conditions. [Gheith I, El-Mahmoudy A. Amelioration of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis risk index by Moringa oleifera leaf extract. Life Sci J 2019;16(2):10-17]. ISSN: 1097-8135 (Print) / ISSN: 2372-613X (Online). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 3. doi:10.7537/marslsj160219.03.