ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary incorporation of X aethiopica on the serum lipid levels in wistar albino rats. Twenty (20) wistar albino rats (males) were randomly assigned into five groups of four rats per cage. The first group (control) was fed on normal growers' feed while groups two, three, four and five were fed 5%, 10%, 20% and 50% X aethiopica seed meal respectively. The feeding lasted for a period of three weeks. There was a dose ependent significant decrease (p<O.05) in the cholesterol level of all the treatment groups (5%, 10%, 20% and 50%), and a non significant effect (p>O.05) between 5% and 10% treatment when compared to the control group. Serum Hl)L increased significantly (p<0.05) in the treatment groups (5% and 10%) while a significant reduction (p<O.OS) occurred in the treatments of 20% and 50% compared with control. There was a dose-dependent significant decrease (P<O.05) in TAG levels (mg/dl) in all treatment groups as compared to control (116.13±6.45, 40.86±3.72, 30.11±3.72, 23.66±3.73) and (21.50±3.73) for control, 5%, 10%, 20% and 50% respectively. There was also a dose-dependent decrease (p<O.05) in VLDL in all treatment groups (5%, 10%, 20% and 50%) when compared with control. Serum LDL (mgldl) had also, a general significant decrease (p<0.05) in all the treatment groups when compared with control. Hence, the incorporation of X aethiopica could lower the levels of some blood lipids. This is also indicative that the feeding of X aethiopica could have hypocholesterolemic effect at moderate supplementations, and thus may be useful in the management of cardiovascular and other related diseases.