Abstract

ENHANCEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL HDL CONTRIBUTING TO ANTIATHEROGENIC EFFICACY OF DESMODIUM GYRANS DC

Vipin PS*, Johannah NM, Seema Menon, Lincy Lawrence,
Achuthan C. Raghavamenon and Jose Padikkala

ABSTRACT

Desmodium gyrans DC (Fabaceae) has been used in traditional medicine as cardiotonic and for wound healing. The present study aimed to evaluate anti-atherogenic effect of methanolic extract of Desmodium gyrans (MDG) in rabbits fed high fat diet (HFD). MDG (200 mg/kg b. wt) was administered to New Zealand white rabbits simultaneous with HFD for 90 days and lipid profile, malondialdehyde (MDA), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Apolipoprotein AI and paraoxonase enzyme activity were assessed in serum. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation were assayed in liver tissue. Aorta was stained using Oil red O stain to asses extend of fatty streak formation and liver histopathological examination was performed to study development of fatty liver. The results showed significant elevation of HDL-cholesterol and improved atherogenic index in MDG treated animals, indicating its effectiveness against atherogenesis. Apolipoprotein A-I and paraoxonase enzyme activity were found significantly elevated in the extract administered group. Atherogenic fatty lesions which were evident in the HFD fed controls, significantly reduced with simultaneous treatment of MDG. There was reduction in fat deposition in liver of MDG treated group. Conclusion: MDG may enhance Reverse Cholesterol Transport (RCT) since it has an effect in elevating functional HDL cholesterol and its associated molecules. The findings thus suggest therapeutic potential of D. gyrans against vascular intimal damage and atherogenesis.

Keywords: Desmodium gyrans; Atherogenic; Hypolipidemic; Antioxidant; Paraoxonase; Apolipoprotein AI.