Lipid - Lowering Effect of a Mixture of Allium cepa bulb and Camellia sinensis Leaf Extracts in Rats fed on High fat Diet

The burden of hyperlipidemia is on the rise globally especially in many low-income countries like Uganda. Management of this metabolic disorder mainly involves dietary and behavioral therapies, which are often met with poor results as they require time and discipline from the patients. The chemotherapeutic options available are expensive, have many side effects and are rarely available to the average citizen. Thus, an alternative effective remedy which is readily available and cheap is needed to combat the problem of hyperlipidemia. This study sought to establish the effect of the mixture of Allium cepa extract and Camellia sinensis extract on the serum lipid profile of the male Wistar rats. Allium cepa and Camellia sinensis mixture in a ratio of 3:7 had the highest antioxidant activity. It reduced body weight, total cholesterol, triacylglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and increased HDL, and in addition it had no toxicity to the liver of the animal models used. It has thus been recommended as a potential therapy for hyperlipidemia and its associated complication of liver toxicity. A pharmaco-kinetic study regarding the interaction of antioxidants for combinations of Allium cepa and Camellia sinensis extracts in different ratios should be conducted to understand the cause of synergism and antagonism.

Clinical Hypoglycemic Effects of Allium Cepa (Red Onion) in Type 1 Diabetic Patients

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease caused by destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells and characterized by defect in insulin secretion. Objectives: The present study was carried out to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of Allium cepa in patients with type 1 diabetic patients. Results: In the assessment of the hypoglycaemic activity of Allium cepa in type 1 diabetic patients (n=21); crude Allium cepa (100g) caused a considerably lowered value in the fasting blood glucose levels by about 89 mg/dl in relation to insulin (145 mg/dl) after 4 hours. Also the ingestion of crude Allium cepa by type 1 diabetic patients produced a significant reduction in the induced hyperglycemia (GTT) by about 120 mg/dl in relation to water (77 mg/dl) and the standard drug insulin (153 mg/dl). Conclusion: Crude Allium cepa produced hypoglycemic effects; thus it could be used as a dietary supplement in management of diabetes