Effects of pueraria extract on blood lipid and anti- oxidant activity in hyperlipidemia rats

Objective: To explore the effects of pueraria extract on blood lipid and anti- oxidant activity in hyperlipidemia rats.Methods: The male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and high fat diet group.The rats in high fat diet group were fed with high fat diet to establish hyperlipidemia rats model and then the hyperlipidemia rats were divided into three groups randomly: high fat diet control group, low and high dose pueraria extract groups respectively. The rats in low and high dose pueraria extract groups were given pueraria extract by gavage at the doses of 50 mg / kg·d- 1and 100 mg / kg·d- 1respectively for four weeks.Then the levels of serum total cholesterol ( TC) , triglyceride ( TG) , high density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL- C) , superoxide dismutase ( SOD) and malondialdehyde ( MDA) , and liver SOD and MDA were measured. Results: The levels of serum TC, TG and MDA and liver MDA, hepatic coefficient and arteriosclerosis index ( AI) were significantly lower ( p < 0.05) , but the activities of serum and liver SOD were markedly higher ( p < 0.05) in the rats of pueraria extract groups than that in high fat diet control group.Conclusion: Pueraria extract has significant hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects in hyperlipidemia rats and it may be beneficial to prevention of atherosclerosis.