Subchronic Effects of Barakol on Blood Clinical Biochemistry Parameters in Normal and High Cholesterol Diet Rats

Abstract

Barakol is a major constituent extracted from flowers and young leaves of

Cassia siamea. This study examined subchronic effects of barakol on blood clinical

biochemistry parameters in rats fed with normal and high cholesterol diet. Thirty-two

male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups. First and second

treatment groups were fed with normal diet and high cholesterol diet, respectively.

Third and fourth treatment groups were given barakol orally at a dosage of 30

mg/kg/day for 90 days. Both latter treatment groups were fed with normal diet and

high cholesterol diet, respectively. Blood was collected by heart puncture and serum

was tested for biochemistry parameters. Normal diet rats treated with barakol

demonstrated a significant decrease of TG but an increase of total and direct bilirubin

comparing to its corresponding normal diet control group. Normal diet rats treated

with barakol shown no effects on these following blood clinical biochemistry

parameters: SGOT, SGPT, ALP, BUN, SCr, Hb, Hct, WBC count, differential WBCs,

cholesterol, LDL/HDL ratio, and glucose. An increase of some blood clinical

biochemistry parameters such as SGOT, SGPT, ALP, cholesterol and LDL/HDL ratio

were found in high cholesterol diet rats. No changes of total and direct bilirubin were

found in this group of animals. High cholesterol diet rats administered with barakol

showed a significant decrease of SGPT and ALP comparing to the corresponding high

cholesterol diet control group. This findings were conceivable that both high

cholesterol diet and barakol administration cause a liver injury but in the different

manner. Further study on the mechanism of which barakol induced liver injury was

suggested. Moreover, effect of various doses of barakol on blood clinical

biochemistry parameters should be further investigated.