Evaluation of Antihyperlipidemic Potency of a Polyherbomineral Formulation (AF-LIP) in Experimental Animal Models

There is a growing interest in the screening of antihyperlipidemic activity and the present study deals with the screening of a polyherbomineral formulation (AF-LIP) which possess many important ingredients reported to have antihyperlipidemic potency. Acute antihyperlipidemic activity was evaluated by using Triton WR-1339 (100 mg kg(-1)) and chronic, induced by high fat diet. Total Cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL), High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) and Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) were examined in addition to HMG-CoA reductase enzyme activity and fecal cholesterol excretion. In Triton WR-1339 (acute model) at the dose of 400 mg kg(-1), AF-LIP significantly lowered TC, TG, very Low Density Lipoproteins Cholesterol (VLDL-C), Low Density Lipoproteins Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels with simultaneous increase in High Density Lipoproteins Cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p < 0.01) at 6 and 24 h. Also there was significant reduction in TC and LDL-C levels at 48 h at the dose of 400 mg kg(-1). In chronic model also at the dose of 100, 200 and 400 mg kg(-1), AF-LIP significantly reduced (p < 0.001) TC and LDL-C levels with increase in HDL-C levels. TG and VLDL-C levels were also not much affected. HMG-CoA reductase enzyme activity when estimated was not much decreased. Also AF-LIP showed significant reduction in atherogenic index (p < 0.01) with significant increase in HDL/TC ratio (p < 0.01). Fecal cholesterol excretion was significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) in all the test doses of AF-LIP. AF-LIP may be beneficial for the treatment of atherosclerosis, since atherosclerosis is one of the secondary complications of hyperlipidemia.