Aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum decreases atherosclerotic lesions in high cholesterolemic experimental rabbits

The study aimed to investigate the effect of P.s on atherosclerotic changes in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.Forty two male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into seven groups. C - control group fed normal rabbit chow, CH - cholesterol diet (1% cholesterol), W1 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (62.5 mg/kg), W2 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (125 mg/kg), W3 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (250 mg/kg), W4 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (500 mg/kg) and Smv - 1% cholesterol supplemented with simvistatin drug (1.2 mg/kg). All rabbits were treated for 10 weeks. Following 10 weeks of supplementation, the animals were sacrificed and the aortic tissue was taken for histological study.Rabbits fed only with high cholesterol diet 1% cholesterol (CH) showed focal fatty streak lesions compared to the C group and 1% cholesterol supplemented with simvistatin drug (Smv) group. Atherosclerotic lesions in the 1% cholesterol group supplemented with P.s (500 mg/kg) i.e. W4 group showed significant reduction (30 ± 6.0%, p < 0.05) in fatty streak compared to the high cholesterol group (85.6 ± 4.1%) under Sudan IV stain. The atherosclerotic lesions under transmission electron microscope showed reduction in foam cells in the treatment groups compared to the CH groups.Administration of P.s extract has protective effect against atherosclerosPiper sarmentosum belongs to the family Piperaceae and it is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries. The plant is popular due to its culinary and medicinal properties. In different parts of the world, P.s has been used traditionally to cure many diseases [1]. Phytochemically, the plant contains constituents likes alkaloids (amide, flavonoids, pyrones) [2] and it has also been reported to possess pharmacological properties like anti-tuberculosis [3] anti cancer [4], anti-angiogenic [5], hypoglycaemic [6], antimalarial [7], antioxidant [8], neuromuscular blocker [9] and antiamebic [10]. Due to