Lipid-lowering activity of Phacelia Tanacetifolia Benth. Extract in an experimental model of alcoholic liver damage

Introduction. Expansion of the domestic raw material base is necessary and expedient due to the study of new plants, including foreign plants. Earlier it was established that the thick extract of the herb of phacelia tanacetifolia has hypolipidemic effect. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this plant substance in this aspect has an important medical and social significance, because lipid metabolism disorders and elevated cholesterol levels are the main risk factors for the development of cerebral ischemia.

The aim of the study is study of hypolipidemic activity of thick extract of phacelia tanacetifolia in conditions of experimental hyperlipidemia induced by ethanol.

Material and methods. The research of hypolipidemic activity was carried out on 20 white Wistar rats weighting 250–270 g. Researched extract was introduced in the form of an aqueous suspension. On the 10th day animals were injected intragastrically once with ethyl alcohol in the form of 40% aqueous solution at a dose of 5 g/kg (in terms of absolute ethanol). Nicotinic acid (Pharmstandard OJSC-UfaVita; Russia) at a dose of 25 mg/kg by the oral route of administration was used as a comparison drug, taking into account the conversion of the maximum daily dose of human to rat using an interspecies coefficient of 5.9. Triglycerides and cholesterol were analyzed on a biochemical analyzer RAL GLIMA MC-15 using reagents from DiaSys, manufactured in Germany.

Results. The introduction of the extract at a dose of 300 mg/kg reduced the content of triglycerides in rat serum by 46%, which may be due to inhibition of their synthesis in the liver; the comparison drug at a dose of 25 mg/kg reduced in serum by 54% and in liver by 68%. Regarding cholesterol, a reduction of 25% in serum and 27% in liver was observed when the extract was administered at a dose of 300 mg/kg and 33% and 20% when the comparison drug was administered. It was also found that under the influence of the extract there was a complete normalization of active thiobarbituric acid products in blood and liver, and liver diene conjugates.

Conclusions. Preventive use of extract in a model of acute hyperlipidemia induced by ethanol demonstrates a hypolipidemic effect due to a decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol in serum and liver homogenate. An essential role in the prevention of hyperlipidemia plays antioxidant activity of the extract, manifested in the reduction of thiobarbituric acid active products in the liver and serum and diene conjugates in the liver, and increase in the redox potential of the glutathione system.