Action of cholecystectomy and the alcoholic extract of Taraxacum officinale leaves on plasma lipid profile in rabbits

Abstract EN

Two experiments were carried out in this study.

The first experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of cholecystectomy on lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)].

The second experiment was aimed to investigate the effect of Taraxacum officinale leaves on plasma lipid profile of cholecysectomic rabbits.

Accordingly, in Experiment one, 12 rabbits were used which allocated randomly into two groups, group one subjected to removal of gall bladder and group two was normal rabbits served as control group.

In experiment two, (12) chlecysectomized rabbits were also divided randomly into two groups, first group received (250 mg / kg) B.W.

of alcoholic extract of T.

Officinale leaves for three weeks and second group received 2ml of 0.9 % NaCl.

Plasma concentrations of TC, TG, HDL, LDL and VLDL in all groups in both experiments were measured every two weeks in experiment one for one month and weekly for experiment two.

The results showed that the removal of gall bladder (cholecystectomy) caused marked increase (P < 0.01) in plasma TC, TG, VLDL, and LDL levels with significant reduction (P < 0.01) in HDL level compared with control normal rabbits.

While the administration of T.

officinale to cholecystectomized rabbits caused highly significant (P < 0.01) decreased in TC, TG, VLDL, & LDL concentrations and marked increase (P<0.01) in HDL concentration.

It can be concluded that, cholecystectomy leads to hyperlipidemia and T.

officinale can relieve it.