Hypolipidaemic effects of Ballota undulata in rabbits.

The aim of to study the effect of Ballota undulata (70% EtOH) extract on lipid profile on Rabbits. The plant extract was orally administered to the atherogenic rabbits (atherogenic diet + cholesterol powder supplement 400 mg/kg/body weight/day dissolved in 5 mL coconut oil) at dose of 1.2 g kg(-1) body weight/day. During the overall period of the experiment blood was collected and serum was analyzed for lipid profile. Animals were sacrificed; the heart and the liver were collected and kept at -20 degrees C until assayed. Biochemical analysis of blood serum and tissue (liver and heart muscle) level were made for cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. In addition blood serum was analyzed further for HDL-Cholesterol. All the results were statistically analyzed using students t-test. Hypolipidaemic nature of Ballota undulata (70% EtOH) extract was studied in hyperlipidaemic Rabbits. The increased cholesterol levels were brought to normal by administration of Ballota undulata. Serum cholesterol levels dropped from 940.7 to 230.41 (75.55%) and further to 119.2 (87.32%) by the end of the experiment. Similarly, phospholipids and triglycerides levels were observed to be also reduced. The tissues lipids profiles of liver and heart muscle showed similar changes in those noticed in serum lipids. Ballota undulata possesses active hypolipidaemic constituents.