Evaluation of Anti-Hyperlipidaemic Activity of a Mixture of Zinger officinale, Allium sativum, Citrus Lemon, Honey, and Malus domestica Vinegar (ZACAH) Extracts in Rats Fed with High Cholesterol Diet

Abstract

Introduction: The incidence and complications of hyperlipidemia associated co-morbidities and mortalities are grossly increasing globally. Intervention with natural products preparation has been identified as an alternative for the management of hyperlipidaemia and its related cardiovascular complications. This study investigated the anti-hyperlipidaemic activities of a mixture of Zinger officinale, Allium sativum, Citrus lemon, honey, and Malus domestica vinegar (ZACAH) extracts in in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed with high cholesterol diet. Methods: Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly distributed into 6 groups, including normal chow diet-fed (NC), high cholesterol diet (HCD), HCD+ Simvastatin (standard drug) while the remaining three groups were fed with HCD + ZACAH extracts at different doses (1, 3 and 5mg/kg body weight) for 18 weeks. Simvastatin at 10 mg/kg of bodyweight was used as control. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine phenolic compounds present in ZACAH extracts, elastase inhibitory assay was determined using spectrometric with a substrate (N-Succ-(Ala)3-pnitroanilide (SANA) while 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was performed based by the method described by Blois, 1958. Results: In vitro; ZACAH extracts had oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value of 2000 µmol TE/100 mL, total phenolic content (TPC) of 7537 ± 54.5%, DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 27.34 ± 2.71%, elastase inhibitory assay of 29.29 ± 1.65% and lipoxygenase inhibitory assay of 98.58 ± 1.42%. In vivo, ZACAH extracts showed decreased bodyweight, adipose tissue, improved lipid profiles and hepatic biochemical enzymes. Conclusion: These results suggested that ZACAH extracts supplementation improved hyperlipidaemia in SD rats and might be a promising adjuvant for the treatment of hyperlipidaemia.