EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM ETHER AND METHANOLIC FRACTIONS OF AVOCADO PEAR (PERSEA AMERICANA MILL) SEEDS ON WISTAR RATS FED A HIGH FAT-HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIET
EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM ETHER AND METHANOLIC FRACTIONS OF AVOCADO PEAR (PERSEA AMERICANA MILL) SEEDS ON WISTAR RATS FED A HIGH FAT-HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIET
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Date
2012-12
Authors
AFAHAKAN, MFONOBONG EFIONG
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Abstract
The effect of petroleum ether and methanolic fractions of Avocado pear (Persea
americana Mill) in diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats was studied. Eleven groups of five
rats each were treated for four weeks and they included normal control, the high fat high
cholesterol diet (HFD) control group, HFD + 0.20mg/kgbw Atorvastatin, and groups
treated with 125mg/kg, 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg body weight petroleum ether and
methanolic fractions. Quantitative phytochemicals analysis revealed significantly
(p<0.05) higher quantities of saponins (10.30±0.60%), flavonoids (74.30±5.20%), and
phenols (27.83±2.47%) in the methanolic fraction. Result of biochemical analysis
showed HFD control group had significant (p<0.05) increases in the serum total
cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triacylglycerols, total
lipids, total phospholipids, and the atherogenic index (LDL-c/HDL-c and TC/HDL-c)
(268.60±30.40mg/dl, 233.40±30.5mg/dl, 71.70±4.30mg/dl, 13.10±3.00g/dl,
5.70±0.90g/dl, 13.00±1.90, 10.00±3.50 respectively); while it recorded significant
(p<0.05) decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (20.70±4.30mg/dl).
These effects were reversed in the extracts treated groups. There was a significant
(p<0.05) increase in thiobarbituric reactive substances (4.73±1.50μmol (NC), and
24.98±5.90μmol (HFD) respectively) and significant (p<0.05) decrease in organ
catalase (0.04±0.01mol/min/g (NC) and 0.02±0.01mol/min/g (HFD) respectively) and
superoxide dismutase activities (152.00±19.10unit/g (NC) and 139.90±8.80unit/g
(HFD) respectively) observed in the liver and kidney homogenate in the HFD control
group which were reversed in the extracts treated groups. There was no significant
(p>0.05) difference in the level of reduced gluthathione in both the liver and kidney
homogenate in normal and HFD control groups. Serum alanine and aspartate
aminotransferases showed no significant (p>0.05) differences between the normal and
HFD control groups, while there was significant (p<0.05) decrease in alkaline
phosphatase level. The serum urea level decrease (p<0.05) significantly in the treatment
groups when compared with the normal control group. The petroleum ether and
methanolic fractions of Persea americana seed has been shown to have hypolipidemic
and hypocholesterolemic potentials as well as in vivo antioxidant activity in dietinduced
hyperlipidemic rats.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA, NIGERIA IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF
SCIENCE DEGREE IN BIOCHEMISTRY
DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
DECEMBER, 201
Keywords
EFFECTS, PETROLEUM ETHER, METHANOLIC FRACTIONS, SEEDS, AVOCADO PEAR (PERSEA AMERICANA MILL), WISTAR RATS, HIGH FAT-HIGH CHOLESTEROL DIET BY