Effects of ethanol extract from Saururus chinensis (Bour.) Baill on lipid and antioxidant metabolisms in rats fed a high-fat diet.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract from Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill on liver function, plasma lipid composition and antioxidant system with high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Rats were divided into the following five groups; untreated control group (normal), treated with 0.5% SE (normal + 0.5% SE), high-fat group (high-fat), high-fat group treated with 0.1% SE (high-fat + 0.1% SE), or 0.5% SE (high-fat + 0.5% SE). Weight gains showed a tendency to decrease in rat with high-fat + SE. Plasma total cholesterol showed a tendency to decrease with ethanol extract from S. chinensis (Lour.) Baill. LDL-cholesterol contents were lower in ethanol extract group than that of control group. Aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase activities were increased by high-fat diet, and were decreased by 0.5% SE. Lipid peroxide level showed a tendency to increase in high-fat diet group than that of normal group. In ethanol extract from S. chinensis (Lour.) Baill groups, lipid peroxide level decreased significantly and SOD activity was also decreased progressively. These results demonstrated that the ethanol extract of S. chinensis (Lour.) Baill lowered serum cholesterol levels, tissue lipid contents and accumulation of cholesterol in the rat.