Assessment of the influence of mixed spiced diet on lipid profile of albino rats

Abstract

Two indigenous Nigerian spices-Gongronema latifolium (Utazi), and Ocimiuim gratissium (Ncheanwu) were used to formulate rat feed and assess their influence on the lipid profile. A total of forty-eight rats, mean body weight 118.12±13.31 were divided into four different diet groups, last group (D) serving as control (No spice). Feeding was done twice daily for period of five months, while water was provided to all the animal ad. Libitum. Every two weeks, two rats were selected from each diet group and sacrificed for analysis. The following lipids, cholesterol (CHO), triacylglycerol (TG), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were assessed. The result shows that serum CHO, TG, and LDL, generally significantly (p ≥0.05) decreased in all the diet groups, while the value of serum HDL increased. The highest reduction in the values of CHO, and TG was observed in the diet groups with the mixed spices, and that with G. latifolium alone, while the highest reduction in the value of HDL occurred in diet group with O.gratissium, and the mixed spiced group respectively. The hypolipidemic effect of these spices individually and in combination form is important in nutritional management of cardio vascular diseases particularly atherosclerosis.