Antihypercholesterolemic Effects of Fruit Aqueous Extract of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore in Mice Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia

Raquel Teixeira Terceiro Paim; Stephen Rathinaraj Benjamin; Davide Rondina; Márcia Maria Mendes Marques; Daniel de Araújo Viana; Maria Leônia da Costa Gonzaga; Ícaro Gusmão Pinto Vieira; Francisca Noélia Pereira Mendes; Paula Alves Salmito Rodrigues; Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes

doi:10.1155/2017/6376173

Antihypercholesterolemic Effects of Fruit Aqueous Extract of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore in Mice Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017:2017:6376173. doi: 10.1155/2017/6376173. Epub 2017 Jun 11.

Affiliations

¹ Northeast Biotechnology Network, Graduate Program of Biotechnology, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology and Health Science Center, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
³ Faculty of Veterinary, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
⁴ Federal University of Piauí, Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, Junco, 64607-670 Picos, PI, Brazil.
⁵ Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60740-000 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
⁶ Federal University of Ceará, University Campus of Pici, 60356-000 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
⁷ Laboratory of Natural Products, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60740-000 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.

Abstract

The present objective of the investigation is to evaluate the antihypercholesterolemic activity of the aqueous fruit pulp extract (APE) of Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae family). Various chemical characterization methods like thin layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography have been employed to characterize the extracted pectin. The present study demonstrated that hypercholesterolemic diet (HD) created hypercholesterolemia, caused significant increases in body weight, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, and caused decreases in high-density lipoprotein in serum compared with SD group. Two doses (APE 150 and 300 mg/Kg b.w./day) were administered to hyperlipidemic mice for 90 days. APE reversed body weight changes, changed serum lipids to normal values, and significantly inhibited the changes of lipid peroxidation and inflammation in the liver tissues. The renal parameters analyzed (urea and creatinine) altered by diet were reverted to normal values. Our results revealed that aqueous fruit pulp extracts of carnauba reduced hypercholesterolemia showing a potential preventive effect against cardiovascular diseases without side effects cause.