Hypocholesterolemic and Hypoglycemic Effects of Soursop Fruit (Annona muricata) Ethanolic Extract in High Fat Diet and Alloxan Induced Wistar Rats

Abstract

Annona muricata (soursop) is a plant belonging to the Annonaceae family. It's a medicinal herb that's been used for centuries as a natural cure for a number of diseases. Several investigations in animals showed that the bark and leaves of the plant possessed antihypertensive, vasodilator, anti-spasmodic, and cardio depressive. However, research on soursop fruit is still limited. This study aims to investigate the effect of soursop fruit ethanolic extract on blood glucose, total and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in high fat diet and alloxan-induced rats (Rattus novergicus). The study was done experimentally with pre and posttest control group design using 30 rats divided into 6 groups consisted of normal group with standard diet, and five groups induced by high fat diet and alloxan then given 0.9 mg/kg of simvastatin, 0.5 mg/kg glibenclamide, 250 and 500 mg/kg of soursop fruit ethanolic extract (SFEE), and one diabetic hyperglycmia group as positive control without treatment. Blood glucose, total and LDL cholesterol levels measurement was conducted after 21 days of treatment. Data was analyzed using dependent t-test. Results shows significant reduction in blood glucose, total and LDL cholesterol level within treatment groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 500 mg/kg SFEE has roughly the same effectiveness as 0.9 mg/kg of simvastatin in reducing the total cholesterol level (p > 0.05), but not for LDL cholesterol. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of 250 and 500 mg/kg SFEE in lowering blood glucose levels is the same as glibenclamide (p > 0.05). In conclusion, SFEE shows hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effect on both dosages.