Protective effects of Arctium lappa L. root extracts (AREs) on high fat diet induced quail atherosclerosis

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Lei Zhang¹  Qixiao Jiang¹  Weizhen Zhong¹  Chunbo Wang¹  Chenjing Wang²  Zhi Wang²  Yu Cao²  Ping Li² 

[1] Department of Pharmacology, Qingdao University Medical College, Boya Building Room 422, 308 Ningxia Road, 266071, Qingdao, Shandong, China;The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 16 Jiangsu Road, 266003, Qingdao, Shandong, China;

关键词: Arctium lappa L;    Atherosclerosis;    High fat diet;    Hypolipidemic effect;    Anti-oxidant effect;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-016-0987-2

 received in 2015-06-17, accepted in 2016-01-06,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThis study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of Arctium lappa L. root extracts (AREs) from different extraction methods (aqueous, ethanol, chloroform and flavone) on atherosclerosis.MethodsQuails (Coturnix coturnix) were subjected to high fat diet, with or without one of the four different AREs or positive control simvastatin. Blood samples were collected before treatment, after 4.5 weeks or ten weeks to assess lipid profile (Levels of total cholesterol (TC), Triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)). After ten weeks, the serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) as well as antioxidant and pro-oxidative status (Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)) were measured. Furthermore, aortas were collected after ten weeks treatment, aorta lipid contents (TC, TG and LDL) were assessed, and histology was used to confirm atherosclerotic changes.ResultsThe results indicated that high fat diet significantly deteriorated lipid profile and antioxidant status in quail serum, while all the extracts significantly reverted the changes similar to simvastatin. Aorta lipid profile assessment revealed similar results. Histology on aortas from quails treated for ten weeks confirmed atherosclerotic changes in high fat diet group, while the extracts significantly alleviated the atherosclerotic changes similar to simvastatin. Among the different extracts, flavones fraction exerted best protective effects.ConclusionsOur data suggest that the protective effects of AREs were medicated via hypolipidemic and anti-oxidant effects. Underlying molecular mechanisms are under investigation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Wang et al. 2016