RESUMO
Spent crankcase oil (SCO) contains a cocktail of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), transferred to the associated water-soluble fractions (WSF); and low-dose heavy metals exposures could increase the triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) concentrations. Hence, this study estimated the changes in the lipid profile and atherogenic indices (AI) of male Wistar albino rats exposed to the WSF of SCO and treated with aqueous extracts (AE) of red cabbage (RC) for 60 and 90 days. Sixty-four male Wistar rats divided into 8 groups (8 animals each) were orally administered 1 mL of deionized water, 500 mg/kg AE of RC, 1 mL of 25%, 50%, and 100% WSF of SCO daily for 60 and 90 days, whereas alternate groups were given the stated percentages of the WSF and the AE. Serum TG, TC, LDL, and VLDL concentrations were then analyzed using appropriate kits and the AI estimated thereafter. Although the 60 days study presented a nonsignificant (P < 0.05) difference in the TG, VLDL, and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-C levels in all the exposed and treated groups, a significantly (P < 0.05) elevated TC and non-HDL was recorded for the 100% exposed group alone. Also, the LDL concentration of all exposed groups was higher than all treated groups. The findings at the 90th day was different, such that the 100% and 25% exposed only groups had elevated lipid profile (except HDL-C) concentrations and AI compared with other groups. RC extracts can act as good hypolipidemic agents in WSF of SCO hyperlipidemia potentiating events.
