Evaluation of Antihyperlipidemic Activity of Nymphaea Alba

Hyperlipidemia is the greatest risk factor of coronary heart disease, currently available hypolipidemic drugs have been associated with number of side effects. Literature claims that flavonoids are able to reduce hyperlipidemia. Based on high flavonoids content in herbal plants, Nymphaea alba (NA) family Nymphaeaceae were selected and the present study focus on the antihyperlipidemic activity of methanol extract of leaves of NA against triton induced hyperlipididemia in rats. NA was administered at a dose of 100mg &200mg /kg (p.o) to triton induced hyperlipidemic rats. Fenofibrate was used as a reference standard. The statistical analyses were carried out using one way ANOVA followed by dunnets multiple comparisions test. NA shows a significant decrease in the levels of serum cholesterol, phospholipids, triglyceride, LDL, VLDL and significant increase in the level of serum HDL at the dose of 100 & 200mg/kg (p.o) against trition induced hyperlipidemic in rats. Methanol extracts decreased serum level of total cholesterol by 74.25%. On the other hand aqueous extract of NA increased the serum HDL cholesterol level by 23.27%. The reduction of LDL cholesterol level by extract was 32.76%. INTRODUCTION: Hyperlipidemia has been ranked as one of the greatest risk factors contributing to the prevalence and severity of coronary heart diseases 1 . Coronary heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia are the primary cause of death 2 . Although many efficacious lipid-lowering synthetic drugs exist, none is effective for all lipoprotein disorders, and all such agents are associated with some adverse effects. QUICK RESPONSE CODE DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7(8).3432-35 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7 (8).3432-35 Therefore it is a need of the day to search other materials from natural sources that are less toxic, less expensive, which can provide better safety and efficacy on a long term usage. Natural products from plants are a rich source used for centuries to cure various ailments. Plants are well known in traditional herbal medicine for their hyperlipidaemic activities, and available literature indicates that there are more than 800 plant species showing hyperlipidaemic activity Nymphaea alba is also known as the European white water lilly, white lotus, is an aquatic flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae having erected perennial rhizomes. The leaves may be upto 30cm in diameter and they take up and spread of 150cm per plant. The flowers are white and they have many small stamens inside.