ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recently, it is investigated that shell of plantain seed is a soluble dietary fiber which can be added into foods to regulate content of cholesterol.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interventional effect of plantain seed on lipid and its lipid peroxidation in rats with hyperlipidemia.DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping design and controlled animal study.SETTING: Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology for New Drug in Hebei Province.MATERIALS: ① A total of 24 healthy SD rats, of grade I, aged 60-70 days, weighting (210±22) g, of either gender, were selected in this study. ② Basic feed was provided by Experimental Animal Center in Hebei Province,and the fractional mass of each component was mentioned as following:flour 0.25, bran 0.1, corn dust 0.22, bean cake 0.22, fish dust 0.02, bone dust 0.02, grass dust 0.05, salt 0.01, yeast dust 0.02, and sunflower seed 0.03. High fat feed was provided by Experimental Animal Center in Hebei Province, and the fractional mass of each component was mentioned as following: basic 0.9, cholesterol 0.015, lard 0.08, and hyocholic salt 0.003.③ Lipid kit was provided by Baoding Changcheng Clinical Reagent Company, and kits of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT),glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were provided by Nanjing Jiancheng Bioengineering Institute.METHODS: The experiment was completed at the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology for New Drug in Hebei Province from June to December 2004. ① All 24 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:normal control group, model group and plantain seed group with 8 in each group. Rats in the normal control group were fed with basic feed. Rats in plantain seed group were fed with high fat feed + 15 g/kg plantain seed and drank routinely. Experimental rats were fed in cages, respectively.Each one was fed with 25 g/d food and drunk freely. The experimental cycle was 12 weeks. ② At the end of experiment, rats were anesthetized to assayed levels of serum triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum SOD and MDA, activities of CAT and SOD in myocardial tissue, content of MDA, and activities of CAT and GSH-Px in hepatic tissue with related kits. ③ Measurement data were compared between each two group with t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Comparison of serum lipid level and anti-oxidation among groups at 12 weeks after modeling.RESULTS: All 24 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① At 12 weeks after modeling, activities of SOD in serum and myocardial tissue were lower in model group than those in normal control group and plantain seed group (P ＜ 0.05), but levels of MDA in serum and myocardial tissue were higher in model group than those in normal control group and plantain seed group (P ＜ 0.05). ② At 12weeks after modeling, activities of CAT and GSH-Px in serum and myocardial tissue were lower in model group than those in normal control group and plantain seed group (P ＜ 0.05). ③ At 12 weeks after modeling, levels of TC and TG in serum were higher in model group than those in normal control group and plantain seed group (P ＜ 0.05), but level of HDL-C and ratio between HDL-C and TC in serum were lower in model group than those in normal control group and plantain seed group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Plantain seed at dosage of 15 g/kg can decrease content of lipid and strengthen anti-oxidation of economy in rats with hyperlipidemia.