Objective: To evaluate anti-dyslipidemic, antioxidant and anti-atherosclerogenic properties of this extract in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rat, a model of metabolic syndrome-induced atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Normocholesterolemic (NC) male rats were divided into six groups (n=10) and fed a high-cholesterol (HC) diet for 30 days (5 groups), or normal rat chow (normal control group). Rats given a HC diet also received distilled water (disease control), the potent hypocholesterolemic agent with anti-atherosclerotic activity atorvastatin (2 mg/kg, positive control), or one of the three doses of Zanthoxylum heitzii stem bark aqueous extract tested (225, 300 and 375 mg/kg) concomitantly for four months. Signs of general toxicity, body temperature and weight, and water and food intake were monitored in live animals. After sacrifice, lipid profiles and oxidative stress markers were assessed in the blood and liver, aorta, and feces, and histopathological analysis of aorta was performed. Results: Plant extract prevented the elevation of aortic total cholesterol and triglycerides, and hepatic low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) was decreased and aortic atherosclerotic plaque formation prevented. Conclusions: These observations strongly suggest that stem bark aqueous extract of Zanthoxylum heitzii has anti-atherosclerogenic properties, at least partly mediated by antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects.

OBJECTIVE: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. is a food plant used in African traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases and related conditions. We assessed the hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties of the aqueous extract of I. batatas leaves in a rat model of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Hypercholesterolemia was induced in male Wistar rats by exclusive feeding with a cholesterol-enriched (1%) standard diet for four weeks. Then, rats were treated once daily (per os) with I. batatas extract at doses of 400, 500 and 600 mg/kg or with atorvastatin (2 mg/kg), for four weeks. Following treatment, animals were observed for another four weeks and then sacrificed. Aortas were excised and processed for histopathological studies, and blood glucose level and lipid profile were measured. RESULTS: Hypercholesterolemic animals experienced a 21.5% faster increase in body weight, significant increases in blood glucose and blood lipids (148.94% triglycerides, 196.97% high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 773.04% low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 148.93% very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and 210.42% total cholesterol), and increases in aorta thickness and atherosclerotic plaque sizes compared to rats fed standard diet. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic rats with the extract mitigated these alterations and restored blood glucose and blood lipid levels to normocholesterolemic values. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that I. batatas leaves have hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties and justify their use in traditional medicine.