Hypolipidemic And Hepatoprotective Effects of Methanol Extract of Carica Papaya Leaves in High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemic Rats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2544.014Keywords:
Hypolipidemia, Formulated high cholesterol diet, C. papaya, HMG-CoA reductase, AtorvastatinAbstract
This study investigated the hypolipidaemic potential of the methanol leaf extract of Carica papaya in the liver of albino rats fed a formulated cow-brain diet, and reported that its effect was compared with that of a standard statin drug (Atorvastatin). Thirty-five (35) albino rats were used and divided into seven (7) groups of five (5) rats each. Group I, which received a normal diet (ND), served as the positive control. Group II was fed a formulated high-cholesterol diet (FHD) and served as the negative control. Group III (ND + 62 mg/kg) was pre-treated before induction, while groups IV, V and VI were induced with FHD and treated with 31, 62, and 124 mg/kg of C. papaya leaf extract, respectively. Group VII (Ator) was induced with the formulated cow-brain tissue and treated with Atorvastatin. The experiment was conducted for 28 days. Biochemical analysis indicated that induction with the formulated cow-brain tissue significantly increased serum lipid profiles, including total cholesterol (225.50 ± 9.93 mg/dL vs. 131.75 ± 9.02 mg/dL in ND) and LDL (104.75 ± 6.42 mg/dL vs. 66.5 ± 5.47 mg/dL in ND), with the exception of HDL. Liver function parameters were also elevated: AST (36.25 ± 8.26 U/L), ALT (39.75 ± 5.91 U/L), and ALP (220.25 ± 14.57 U/L), all showing significant (p<0.05) increases. The study further noted that, when compared with the effect of Atorvastatin, C. papaya extract demonstrated considerable hypolipidaemic activity in all treated groups. This effect was attributed to the presence of phytochemicals such as saponins and flavonoids, which may influence lipid metabolism and inhibit HMG-CoA reductase activity. The findings suggested that C. papaya is more effective than Atorvastatin.
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