Effect of feeding some herbs on serum liver enzymes, total cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic rats

The present work was carried out to study effects of feeding hypercholesterolemic rats with 3 herbs viz.: ginger, psyllium and coriander herbs, alone and in combination, mixed with the basal diet on serum liver enzymes, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG) and lipoproteins. This study was conducted on 50 adult male rats divided into 10 equal groups. One group was fed on the basal diet only (control -ve). The other group was fed on the basal diet mixed with 1.5% cholesterol (control +ve). The remaining groups were fed on the basal +1.5% cholesterol + the studied herbs at 5 % and 10 %. After 6 weeks feeding on the experimental diets, al! rats were weighed for calculation of body weight gain and food efficiency ratio. Blood samples were collected for estimation of liver enzymes, cholesterol, TG and lipoproteins in the serum. Histopathology of liver was also carried out. The obtained results revealed that feeding hypercholesterolemic rats on diets mixed with each of these herbs, alone or in combination at 5% and 10 %, improves the liver function as it lowers the elevated serum. AST and ALT enzymes. It induces also hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidmic effects. Moreover, it alleviates the histopathological changes in the liver induced by cholesterol feeding. However, it reduces daily food intake, body weight gain, food efficiency ratio and liver weight in the tested rats. It was concluded that feeding combined formula of ginger, psyllium, coriander each or combined at 5% and 10 % for 6 weeks may be useful in the management of cases suffering from hypercholesterolemia associated with elevated liver enzymes.