Oral administration of Zuccagnia punctata extract has beneficial effects in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

ROCO, JULIETA; ALARCÓN, GABRIELA; ZAMPINI, CATIANA; ISLA, MARÍA INES; JEREZ, SUSANA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biociencias; 2017

The consumption of flavonoids has been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases (CD) including atherosclerosis. In turn, extracts from Zuccagnia punctata have demonstrated to be rich in flavonoids. Purpose: To study the effects of oral treatment with Z. punctata extract (ZpE) on clinical parameters: lipid profile, oxidative stress status and vascular function in a rabbit model of hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Rabbits were separated in five groups: fed standard chow untreated (CD) or treated with 2.5 mg GAE/day ZpE (CD-ZpE); fed 1% cholesterol-enriched chow untreated (HD), treated with 2.5 mg GAE/day ZpE (HD-ZpE) or with 2.5 mg Rosuvastatin (HD-R), during 6 weeks. Body weights (BW), mean blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), visceral abdominal fat (VAF) were determined. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose (FG), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), bilirubin, creatinine, thiobarbituric acids reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione reduced/oxidized index were measured in serum. Abdominal aorta was excised and vascular function was assessed by acetylcholine (Ach) relaxation and contractile response to norepinephrine (NE) and angiotensin II (Ang II). Results: ZpE reduced MAP [(mmHg) HD: 73±2; HD-ZpE: 48±2; HD-R: 50±5, p