Abstract

This study investigates the effect of ethanol extract of Buccholzia coriacea seeds on the serum lipid profile of albino rats within a period of two weeks of treatments. Twelve (12) Wistar albino rats weighing between 85 to 130 g purchased and randomly divided into three groups were used for this study. The control group received normal saline while the two other groups received graded doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract, respectively. Measurement of the serum lipid profile in rats administered with extract indicated a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the mean values of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol but there was a significant increase (p<0.05) in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of the rats administered with the same extract. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the total cholesterol concentration and triacylglycerol concentrations of rats administered with the same extract compared to the control. This study suggests that ethanol extract of B. coriacea seeds have active ingredients that are capable of improving the lipid profile and thus, might be useful in the management of cardiovascular diseases caused by hyperlipidemia.

Key words: Buccholzia coriacea, triacylglycerol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, total cholesterol.