Abstract

Lipid lowering and antioxidant activity of rohitukine from Dysoxylum binectariferum in hyperlipidemic rats

Author(s): Vijai Lakshmi, Ashok Kumar Khanna, Abbas Ali Mahdi, Santosh Kumar Agarwal

The lipid lowering and antioxidant activity of rohitukine a pure compound isolated from the stem bark of the Dysoxylum binectariferum has been studied in triton and cholesterol fed hyperlipidemic rats (in vivo). Serum lipids were found to be lowered by rohitukine (at 200mg/kg.) in tritonWR- 1339 induced hyperlipidemia in experimental animals.. Chronic feeding of this compound (at 100 mg/kg) in animals simultaneously fed with high fat diet (HFD) for 30 days caused lowering in the lipid and apoprotein levels of very low density (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) and increased high density lipoprotein (HDL). Rohitukine activated lipolytic enzymes in plasma and liver lipids. The hypolipidemic activity of the rohitukine is mediated through increased faecal bile acid excretion and enhanced plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity. This molecule showed potent antioxidant and oxygen free radical scavenging activity (in in vitro studies).