Abstract

EFFECT OF RUBIA CORDIFOLIA ALONE OR AS AN ADJUVANT WITH ATORVASTATIN IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPERLIPIDEMIA AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Puneet Kapoor*, Suruchi, Anuradha Singh, Shiv K Gupta, Shibli J Ahmad

Abstract

The current study was aimed to assess whether the ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia alone or as an adjunct with atorvastatin, would effectively prevent and/or cure experimentally induced-hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in rats. In this study, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in male Wistar rat was induced by administering laboratory diet enriched with cholesterol (1%) and methionine (2 g/kg, body weight) for the duration of 60 days. Treatment schedule was divided into three parts preventive (2-months), curative (2-months) and combination (1-month). Effect of Ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia and atorvastatin alone and in combination was evaluated. Blood pressure was recorded at the end of the study. Markers of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis (lipid profile, reduced glutathione, total anti-oxidant capacity, C-reactive protein, HMGCo-A reductase, nitric oxide and Na+K+ATPase) were estimated in serum, aorta and liver. Ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia was found to possess anti-dyslipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, membrane protecting and vasoprotective activity. The ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia when used as an adjunct with atorvastatin therapy, reduced the duration of atorvastatin therapy to one month. From the study it was concluded that Ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia was effective in preventing/treating cholesterol and methionine-induced hypelipidemia and atherosclerosis. Combing the ethanolic extract of Rubia cordifolia to atorvastatin treatment may reduce the duration of atorvastation therapy, clinically.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Cholesterol, Methionine, Homocysteine, Atorvastatin, Rubia cordifolia.