Antihyperlipidemic activity of Clitoria ternatea and Vigna mungo in rats.

Context: Hyperlipidemia is one of the major risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Some plants are effective in controlling hyperlipidemia.

Objective: To investigate the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of Clitoria ternatea L. and Vigna mungo L. (Fabaceae) on experimentally induced hyperlipidemia in rats.

Materials And Methods: The poloxamer 407-induced acute hyperlipidemia and diet-induced hyperlipidemia models were used for this investigation.

Results: Oral administration of the hydroalcoholic extract of the roots and seeds of C. ternatea and the hydroalcoholic extract of the seeds of V. mungo resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The atherogenic index and the HDL/LDL ratio were also normalized after treatment in diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. The effects were compared with atorvastatin (50 mg/kg, p.o.) and gemfibrozil (50 mg/kg, p.o.), reference standards.

Discussion: The cholesterol-lowering effect of C. ternatea might be attributed to increased biliary excretion and decreased absorption of dietary cholesterol. The cholesterol-lowering effects of V. mungo seeds might be because of decreased HMG-CoA reductase activity, increased biliary excretion, and decreased absorption of dietary cholesterol. Additionally, they improved natural antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Conclusion: The findings of the investigation suggest that C. ternatea and V. mungo have significant antihyperlipidemic action against experimentally-induced hyperlipidemia.