Biochemistry Department, King Abdulaziz University, Sciences Faculty for Girl's, P. O. Box 51459, Jeddah- 21453, Saudi Arabia. Email: Jyousef@kau.edu.sa
Online published on 25 August, 2014.
The present study evaluated the safety and the hypolipidemic impact of aqueous extracts of some medicinal herbs namely, Salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, Alpinia galanga (galangal) rhizome extract, and gum olibanum extract of Boswellia serrata (frankincense) on heart of rats. Creatin phophokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose were assessed in heart tissue. Results revealed that oral ingestion of sage aqueous extracts to rats for 30 consecutive days showed non significant change in heart parameters. Meanwhile, galangal extract markedly induced elevation in both enzyme activities as well as in the glucose content of cardiac tissue when compared with control animals. Frankincense aqueous extract showed an adverse effect on heart tissue which ensured by marked decrease in CPK, LDH and glucose in heart tissue. Serum cholesterol and triacyglycerol (TGs) in rats were also investigated to evaluate the hypolipidemic efficacy of the tested herb extracts. The result showed that sag extract has no effect on serum cholesterol but it has lowering effect on serum TGs level. However, galangal extract has lowering effect on serum cholesterol and non significant change was observed in serum TGs level versus control rats. Frankincense extract has no effect on serum lipid profiles when compared to control animals. Overall, sag and galangal aqueous extracts does not adversely influence rat heart coupled with their beneficial hypolipidemic capacity, however frankincense extract showed an adverse effect on heart tissue and precautions must be taken during it's us as a traditional herbal medicine.
Safety, Hypolipidemic, Herbs extract, Heart, glucose
