Antihyperlipidemic effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2007 Mar;62(1):19-24. doi: 10.1007/s11130-006-0036-2. Epub 2006 Nov 29.

Abstract

Aronia melanocrpa fruit juice (AMFJ) used in our experiment was very rich in phenolic substances (709.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 ml juice). Anthocyanins (106.8 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/100 ml juice) were the main flavonoid group. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of AMFJ on plasma lipids and lipoprotein profile, and histopathology of liver and aorta in rats with dietary-induced hyperlipidemia. AMFJ was administered by gavage for 30 days at doses of 5, 10 and 20 ml/kg body weight to rats fed a standard diet (SD) or a 4% cholesterol-containing diet (4% ChD). The 4% ChD caused a significant elevation of plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). AMFJ did not significantly influence plasma lipids in rats fed the SD and significantly hindered the elevation of plasma TC, LDL-C and TG in rats fed the 4% ChD. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were not significantly influenced either by the 4% ChD or by AMFJ. Neither the cholesterol feeding, nor AMFJ treatment induced any histopathological changes in rat liver and aorta. In conclusion, AMFJ showed an antihyperlipidemic effect in rats with hyperlipidemia and could be valuable in reducing this factor of cardiovascular risk.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Anthocyanins / analysis
  • Anthocyanins / therapeutic use
  • Aorta / drug effects
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Cholesterol, Dietary / administration & dosage
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Hyperlipidemias / blood
  • Hyperlipidemias / drug therapy*
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Lipids / blood
  • Lipoproteins / blood
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Phenols / analysis
  • Phenols / therapeutic use
  • Photinia / chemistry*
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Anthocyanins
  • Cholesterol, Dietary
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Lipids
  • Lipoproteins
  • Phenols
  • Plant Extracts