Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region, Cameroon.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Ngaoundere, Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region, Cameroon.
J Integr Med. 2021 May;19(3):243-250. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2021.02.002. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. is a food plant used in African traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases and related conditions. We assessed the hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties of the aqueous extract of I. batatas leaves in a rat model of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.
Hypercholesterolemia was induced in male Wistar rats by exclusive feeding with a cholesterol-enriched (1%) standard diet for four weeks. Then, rats were treated once daily (per os) with I. batatas extract at doses of 400, 500 and 600 mg/kg or with atorvastatin (2 mg/kg), for four weeks. Following treatment, animals were observed for another four weeks and then sacrificed. Aortas were excised and processed for histopathological studies, and blood glucose level and lipid profile were measured.
Hypercholesterolemic animals experienced a 21.5% faster increase in body weight, significant increases in blood glucose and blood lipids (148.94% triglycerides, 196.97% high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 773.04% low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 148.93% very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and 210.42% total cholesterol), and increases in aorta thickness and atherosclerotic plaque sizes compared to rats fed standard diet. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic rats with the extract mitigated these alterations and restored blood glucose and blood lipid levels to normocholesterolemic values.
Our findings suggest that I. batatas leaves have hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerogenic properties and justify their use in traditional medicine.
番薯（Ipomoea batatas（L.）Lam.）是一种食用植物，在非洲传统医学中用于治疗心血管疾病和相关病症。我们评估了番薯叶水提物在饮食诱导的高胆固醇血症大鼠模型中的降血脂和抗动脉粥样硬化作用。
雄性 Wistar 大鼠通过仅用富含胆固醇（1%）的标准饮食喂养四周来诱导高胆固醇血症。然后，大鼠每天（口服）用番薯叶提取物以 400、500 和 600mg/kg 的剂量或阿托伐他汀（2mg/kg）治疗四周。治疗后，动物再观察四周，然后处死。取出主动脉进行组织病理学研究，并测量血糖水平和血脂谱。
高胆固醇血症动物的体重增加速度快了 21.5%，血糖和血脂显著升高（甘油三酯升高 148.94%，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高 196.97%，低密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高 773.04%，极低密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高 148.93%，总胆固醇升高 210.42%），主动脉厚度和动脉粥样硬化斑块大小增加。与标准饮食喂养的大鼠相比，用提取物治疗高胆固醇血症大鼠减轻了这些变化，并使血糖和血脂水平恢复到正常胆固醇水平。
我们的研究结果表明，番薯叶具有降血脂和抗动脉粥样硬化作用，为其在传统医学中的应用提供了依据。
