Comparative studies on hypocholesterolemic effect of different fractions of Hyphaene thebaica (Doum) in experimental...

A comparison of different fractions of the fruit of Hyphaene thebaica (Doum) was performed in order to investigate their effects on serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoproteins: HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and Non-HDL cholesterol in normal rats. Female Sprague-Dawely rats were treated orally with different fractions of the Doum plant. We used atorvastatin and a natural extract of Monascus purpureus as references. The total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, Non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated. Three fractions of the Doum plant exhibited a highly significant decrease in serum cholesterol and Non-HDL cholesterol. One fraction exhibited a highly significant decrease in cholesterol level but with only a moderately significant effect in decreasing the Non-HDL level. Decreasing Non-HDL, especially LDL, cholesterol, can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular diseases. The natural, safe and non-toxic Doum plant could be of great merit for use as a hypocholesterolemic drug.