Anti-hyperlipidemic activity of spider brake (Pteris multifida) with rats fed a high cholesterol diet

This study evaluates the possible potency of the anti-hyperlipidemic effect of spider brake [(Pteris multifida Poiret (Pteridaceae)]. We investigated this by feeding the hyperlipidemic Sprague-Dawley rats, caused by a high cholesterol diet, with lyophilized powder of spider brake (LSB) and compared the result with the rats fed with beta-sitosterol. The results indicated that the administration of lyophilized powder of spider brake (LSB) lowered the hyperlipidemic level on rats. The relative weights of the liver, adipose tissue, and relative adipose tissue of 10% substitutions of LSB group (LSB-10) showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) by 6%, 15.9%, and 14.3% in contrast to the untreated counterparts (control), respectively. A significantly lower (P < 0.05) plasma TG, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, liver CH, and TG contents were also observed in LSB-10 compared to the untreated counterparts (by 36.8%, 21%, 18.7%, 10.2% and 14.3% reduction, respectively). Simultaneously, the wet fecal weight, dry fecal weight, nitrogen compounds, excretion of neutral steroids, and bile acids significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 9.6%, 10.6%, 23.7%, 9.7%, and 3.4% respectively. The results showed that LSB could cause not only a reduction in CH and TG, but also could increase the excretion of lipids and metabolic by-products via the intestinal tract.