Hypolipidaemic effects of Citrullus colocynthis L. in rabbits.

Aim of this research to study the effect of Citrullus colocynthis (70% EtOH) extract on lipid profile on Rabbits. The plant extract was orally administered to the atherogenic rabbits (atherogenic diet + cholesterol powder supplement 400 mg/kg/body weight/day dissolved in 5 mL coconut oil) at dose of 1.2 g kg(-1) body weight/day. During the hall period of the experiment blood was collected and serum was analyzed for lipid profile. Animals were sacrificed; the heart and the liver were collected and kept at -20 degrees C until assayed. Biochemical analysis of blood serum and tissue (liver and heart muscle) level were made for cholesterol, Phospholipids and triglycerides. In addition blood serum was analyzed further for HDL-Cholesterol. All the results were statistically analyzed using students t-test. Hypolipidaemic nature of Citrullus colocynthis (70% EtOH) extract was studied in hyperlipidaemic Rabbits. The increased cholesterol levels were brought to normal by administration of Citrullus colocynthis. Serum cholesterol levels dropped from 940.7 to 230.41 (75.55%) and further to 119.2 (87.32%) by the end of the experiment. Similarly, phospholipids and triglycerides levels were observed to be also reduced. The tissues lipids profiles of liver and heart muscle showed similar changes in those noticed in serum lipids. Citrullus colocynthis possesses active hypolipidaemic constituents.