https://imcjms.com/public Ibrahim Medical College Journal of Medical Science https://imcjms.com/public/registration/journal_full_text/4 Sat, 23 Jul 2016 08:36:43 +0000 An experimental biochemical study was made on rabbits to demonstrate the possible role of aqueous extract of garlic as an antilipidaemic agent in the prevention of hyperlipidaemia. Untreated rabbits on atherogenic diet showed worse lipidaemic status than the normal control ones, as evident in higher serum cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. On the otherhand the rabbits on atherogenic diet treated with aqueous extract of garlic showed significantly better lipidaemic status. It is suggested that aqueous extract of garlic is an important determinant of serum lipid level, which is an antilipidaemic agent against the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Address for Correspondence: Prof. Aftab Uddin Ahmed, Department of Anatomy, Ibrahim Medical College, 122 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Shahbag, Dhaka-1000   1.  Normal Control (6):  On basal laboratory diet containing wheat and wheat brans (30% each), maize, Jill cake, kheshari (10% each), soybean oil 4%, molasses 1% with skimmed milk powder, vitamin mixtures and minerals in appropriate proportions. The diet was prepared according to the formula followed by the International center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDRB). 3.  Garlic treated (6):  On atherogenic diet +10ml/kg freshly prepared aqueous extract of   garlic daily. The bulbs of Garlic were sliced into pieces and homogenized with cold distilled water at a proportion of 1:3 by weight. The filtered mixture was centrifuged at 3000rpm for 15 minutes. The supernatant fluid was used for treating the rabbits. The procedure of preparation and the doses of aqueous extract of garlic were chosen from Augusti and Methew9. To see the antilipidaemic effects of garlic, biochemical parameters were used. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein were estimated at the beginning and on the day of sacrifice for each animal of each batch. Comparative studies were made between the results among different batches of rabbits.   Results After 8 weeks of atherogenic diet feeding, the rabbits developed small nodular skin lesions mostly in both ears. The initial lipid levels in different batches of rabbits were close to each other. At the end of the experiment, the serum lipid level of the cholesterol fed animals increased many folds to that of the initial levels except in the normal control batch (Table 1). Serum cholesterol level increased maximally to about 14 times the initial level and showed markedly higher level of cholesterol. The increase of serum triglycerides was relatively lower as compared to serum cholesterol and LDL level. The mean final serum HDL levels were less than the mean initial ones in all batches of rabbits.   Table – I: Serum lipid levels in different batches of rabbits at the beginning and end of the experiment   In the present study, the mean final serum HDL level in the garlic treated rabbits was increased by about 25% than that in the atherosclerotic control ones. Similar results were also reported by Bordia et al.6 and Sainani et al.10. Both observed quite higher levels of serum HDL in the cholesterol fed rabbits treated with garlic. Huq13 found serum HDL level increased by 30% in the garlic treated rats in comparison to rats fed on cholesterol diet only. References 2.  Assmann G. Lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. Central Laboratory of the Medical Faculty, University of Munster and Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research at the University of Munster, Stutgart, New York: Schattauer, 1982. 4.  Bordia A, Bansal HC, Arora SK, Rathore AS, Ranawat RVS, Singh SV. Effect of the essential oil (active principal) of garlic on serum cholesterol, plasma fibrinogen, whole blood coagulation time and fibrinolytic activity in alimentary lipaemia. J Assoc Phys Ind 1974;  22: 267-70. 6.  Bordia A, Verma SK, Khabia BL, Vyas A, Rathore AS, Bhu N, Bedi HR. The effective of active principle of garlic and onion on blood lipids and experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits and their comparison with clofibrate. J Assoc Phys Ind 1977b; 25: 509-12. 8.  Arora RC, Arora S, Gupta RK. The long-term use of garlic in ischaemic heart disease: an appraisal. Atherosclerosis 1981; 40: 175-79. 10.  Sainani GS, Desai DB, Natu MN, Katrodia KM, Valame VP, Sainani PG. Onion, Garlic and experimental atherosclerosis. Jap Heart J 1979; 20(3): 351-57. 12.  Jain RC. Onion and Garlic in experimental cholesterol induced atherosclerosis. Ind J Med Res 1976; 74: 1504-14. 14.  Zacharias NT, Sebastian KL, Philip B, Augusti KT. Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of garlic in sucrose fed rabbits. Ind J Physio Pharmac 1980; 24(2): 151-53. 2026 Ibrahim Medical College. All rights reserved.