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OBJECTIVE@#Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. is a food plant used in African traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases and related conditions. We assessed the hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties of the aqueous extract of I. batatas leaves in a rat model of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.@*METHODS@#Hypercholesterolemia was induced in male Wistar rats by exclusive feeding with a cholesterol-enriched (1%) standard diet for four weeks. Then, rats were treated once daily (per os) with I. batatas extract at doses of 400, 500 and 600 mg/kg or with atorvastatin (2 mg/kg), for four weeks. Following treatment, animals were observed for another four weeks and then sacrificed. Aortas were excised and processed for histopathological studies, and blood glucose level and lipid profile were measured.@*RESULTS@#Hypercholesterolemic animals experienced a 21.5% faster increase in body weight, significant increases in blood glucose and blood lipids (148.94% triglycerides, 196.97% high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 773.04% low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 148.93% very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and 210.42% total cholesterol), and increases in aorta thickness and atherosclerotic plaque sizes compared to rats fed standard diet. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic rats with the extract mitigated these alterations and restored blood glucose and blood lipid levels to normocholesterolemic values.@*CONCLUSION@#Our findings suggest that I. batatas leaves have hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties and justify their use in traditional medicine.
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Background: According to traditional medicine, Ganodermataceae has many good effects on such as anti-oxidant, liver protection, sedation, anti-tumor, treatment of dyslipidemia,... Hong chi DaLat \ufffd?[Ganoderma lucidum (HC)] is a species of Ganodermataceae. This species has two strains DL1 and DL2, was grown and used mainly in Da Lat but they had not been fully studied. Objectives: To evaluate the cholesterol lowering effect of HC in cholesterol induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Subjects and method: Rats were given orally the cholesterol 10% with 0.5g/kg body weight/day during 6 consecutive weeks in order to induce hypercholesterolemic rats. The hypocholesterolemic effect of extract of (HC) was investigated at the dose of 4g/kg administered orally in hyperlipidaemic rats after 6 weeks. Results: HC with the dose of 4g/kg significantly decreased plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL \ufffd?C levels by 24.82%, 27.41% and 54.32% respectively, but increased HDL \ufffd?C by 53.34%. The effect of HC on plasma cholesterol levels with the oral dose of 4g/kg, 12g/kg was equal to each other and to that of cholestyramin at the dose of 1.6g/kg. Conclusion: HC has hypocholesterolemic effect in rats.