Effect Of Dietary Incorporation Of Vernonia Amygdalina Del And Vernonia. Colorata Willd On Blood Lipid Profile And Relative Organ Weights In Albino Rats.

ABSTRACT

Processed and unprocessed Vernonia amygdalina and colorata were incorporated into diets of albino rats at S and 10 percentage levels. Forty five male albino rats, randomly assigned into nine groups of five rats each were fed with formulated diets for 28 days. Group A which served as the control received basal diet only while the others were experimental groups administered processed (PVA and PVC) and unprocessed Vernonia amygdalina (UPVA) and Vernonia colorata (UPVC) at 5 and 10%. Serum Triacyiglycerol concentrations (mg!loOml) decreased (p<0.05) significantly from 159.15 + 0.32 in the control group to 80.60 ± 0.78 in the group fed UPVA at 10%. Cholesterol concentrations (mgllooml) decreased significantly (p<0.05) from 195.3 1± 4.37 in the control group to 148.77 ± 1.88 in the group fed UPVC at 10%. LDL-Cholesterol and VLDL-Cholesterol values significantly (p<0.05) decreased from 101.69 ± 3.66 in the control to 23.16 ± 2.49 fed UPVC at 10% and from 31.83 ± 0.06 in the control group to 16.12 ± 0.16 fed UPVA at 10% respectively. A significant @<0.05) increase in HDL-Cholesterol concentrations from 61.79 ± 0.65 in the control group to 120.15±2.65 (mg/lOOm!) in the group fed PVC at 10%. Relative kidney and spleen weights increased from 5.81x10± 1.25 x iO4 in the control group to 7.02x10± 5.22 x 10 in the group fed UPVA at 10% and from 2.09x10± 2.33x10 in the control group to 3.64x10 ± 5.52 x10 fed PVC at 10% respectively. The intestinal weights also increased (p<0.05) significantly from 9.27 xl 0 2 ± 1.44 x i0 to 1.43 xl (f ± 2.06 xl 0 2 in the group fed UPVA at 5% of diet incorporation. There was a non-significant increase in the relative liver weights while body weights decreased (p<0.05) significantly at week four from 190.65g to 130.94g. These findings are indicative that Vernonia amygdalina and Vernonia colorata could have a positive modulatory effect on blood lipid profile by reducing blood levels of lipids with atherogenic potentials while increasing HDL that has a cardio-protective effect. It also suggests that feeding of the vegetable at 10% level of dietary incorporation could have significant effects on vital organs which need to be further investigated.