Abstract
Background
Exposure to arsenic orchestrates a myriad of noxious health effects, including cancer. Different parts of Irvingia gabonensis are used as herbal remedies in traditional medicine. In this study, the comparative effects of the ethanol leaf (ELEIG) and stem bark extracts (ESEIG) of Irvingia gabonensis on sodium arsenite (SA)-induced lipid profile disturbances in Wistar rats were investigated.
Methods
Fifty five Wistar rats weighing between 100 g and 179 g were distributed into eleven groups (n=5). Group 1 (control) received feed and water ad libitum. Group 2 received SA at a dose of 4.1 mg/kg body weight (kgbw) for 14 days. Groups 3–11 were treated with the extracts with or without SA. Treatment was done by oral intubation for 14 days. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c), total lipids (TL) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were used to determine the lipid profile effects of the extracts.
Results
Exposure to SA caused significant (p ˂ 0.05) increases in all assayed parameters, relative to control. Post-treatment and simultaneous treatment with ELEIG and ESEIG mitigated the effects of SA. In addition, ELEIG alone at various doses produced results comparable with control values. However, ESEIG alone caused significant (p ˂ 0.05) increases in all assayed parameters, relative to control.
Conclusion
These results show that ELEIG and ESEIG ameliorate SA-induced lipid profile disturbances in Wistar rats. However, long-term administration of ESEIG alone may be discouraged.
Comparison of a Novel Method vs the Friedewald Equation for Estimating Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels From the Standard Lipid Profile