Study of the effects of licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra)‎ on lipid profile and tissue lipid peroxidation in adult ovariectomized rabbits

الملخص EN

This study evaluates the potential efficacy of Glycyrrhizin glabra on lipid profile and tissue lipid per oxidation in rabbits exposed to bilateral ovariectomy.

Twenty adult rabbits were either sham-operated or ovariectomized.

Ovariectomized groups were fed with either by estradiol-17β or Glycyrrhizin glabra extract with food for one month.

Ovariectomy caused a significant increase in serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and atherogenic index, and a decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels.

Also it caused a significant increase in tissue malondialdehyde content (MDA) of kidney, liver, heart as compared to control and compared to the sham operated group.

Administration of estradiol 17-β caused no significant changes in lipid profile as compared with the OVX-group but caused a significant decrease in MDA content in heart tissue as compared to the OVX-group.

Administration of Glycyrrhizin glabra extract caused a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL, and atherogenic index and significantly increased HDL- as compared to the OVX- group.

Tissue (MDA) content of kidney, liver, and heart showed significant decline as compared with the OVX- group.

The present results indicate that licorice root extract has protective and antioxidant properties (the same as glabridin) against hypercholesterolemia and hyper lipidemia produced by ovariectomy.