Subchronic Exposure of Pueraria Mirifica in Normal and High Cholesterol Diet-fed Rats : Influence on Lipid Profile and Toxicity

Abstract

Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw and Suvatabandhu, known locally as White Kwao Keur, is a plant in family Leguminosae. In this study, effects of P.mirifica on serum lipid profile and subchronic toxicity were investigated in male Wistar rats. Rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups as following: normal diet-fed group; normal diet-fed supplemented with P.mirifica group; high cholesterol diet-fed group; high cholesterol diet-fed supplemented with P.mirifica group. Each group comprised I0 rats. P.mirifica was administered orally at a dosage of 100 mg/kg/day for 90 consecutive days. During the treatment period, body weights of the animals were recorded every two weeks. At the end of the treatment, rats were anesthesized. Blood samples were collected by heart puncture and serum sample were prepared for determination of hematology and clinical blood chemistry, respectively. The results showed that body weight of rats given P.mirifica in either normal diet or high cholesterol diet conditions were significantly lower than their corresponding control groups. There was no significant difference of these following hematology and clinical blood chemistry: hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC morphology, WBC count, %differential  WBC, platelet count, glucose, BUN, SCr, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin in all experimental groups. P.mirifica did not affect serum level of AST, ALT, and ALP in normal diet-fed condition. High cholesterol diet-fed condition caused a significant increase of AST, ALT, and ALP but P.mirifica attenuated these effects. P.mirifica significantly

decreased serum total cholesterol and LDL-C in either normal diet-fed or high cholesterol

diet-fed rats. Serum triglyceride was increased in normal diet-fed rats but decreased in high

cholesterol diet-fed rats. P.mirifica caused a significant decrease of HDL-C in both normal and high cholesterol diet-fed rats whereas its improvement in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was shown only in high cholesterol diet-fed rats.  Although, P.mirifica demonstrated a benefit on lipid profile and did not show any toxic effects on liver, kidney, and blood system in this study, an increment of serum triglyceride in normal rat receiving P.mirifica, however, is not favorable. Effects of P.mirifica at various doses, long term used as well as mechanism of the effects should be further investigated.