Protective effect of tiger nut (Cyperus Esculentus L. )‎ on hypercholesterolemia rats

Abstract EN

The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of tiger nut on rats suffering from hypercholesterolemia.

Forty-eight male albino rats weighing 160 ± 5 g were used in this study.

The rats divided into two main groups, the 1^st main group (n=6) was fed on the basal diet (-ve control).

The 2^nd group (n = 6) was fed on hypercholesterolemic diet with addition of 1% cholesterol +0.5% colic acid+10% corn oil to induce hypercholesterolemia.

Groups (3-5) were fed on basal diet supplemented with (10, 15, 25% ) tiger nut, respectively.

Groups (6-8) were fed on hypercholesterolemic diet supplemented with (10, 15, 25% ) from tiger nut.

The results revealed that all hypercholesterolemic groups which treated with 10% , 15% , and 25% of tiger nut resulted a varied increase in body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency ratio.

Results declared that there was a significant difference (P≤0.05) among the positive control group and cholesterol groups treated with the different levels of tiger nut in internal organ weights.

On the other hand, data showed that there was no significant difference (P≥0.05) in organs weight between the negative control group, and the group which treated with 25% tiger nut rats group.

The results showed a significant decrease in AST, ALT, ALP enzymes activity, creatinine, blood urea and uric acid for treated groups as compared with positive control group.

Results indicated that hypercholesterolemic rat groups, which treated with 10, 15 or 25% tiger nut resulted in significant decreases (P≤0.05) in the values of serum total cholesterol, T.

G, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL and LDL-cholesterol but showed mostly significant increase (P≤0.05) in the values of serum HDL-cholesterol compared to control (+ve) group.

Tiger nut also, lowered malondialdehyde, while raised glutathione in serum.

So, the study recommended using tiger nut in diets to overcome the problems of hypercholesterolemia and also improving the liver and kidney functions.