Project Materials

EFFECT OF TELFERIA OCCIDENTALIS AND VERNONIA AMYGDALINA ON LIPID PROFILE (TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE, HDL AND LDL) ON BRAIN, PLASMA AND KIDNEY IN HIGH SUCROSE DIET FED RATS

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The Western diet has high quantities of fat, sugar, and salt, which has been related to an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Pandya et al., 2013).

An aberrant lipid profile, defined by high levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is a major risk factor for CVD (Wang et al., 2021).

Triglyceride levels have also been linked to an elevated risk of CVD (Kaur et al., 2014). As a result, therapies aiming at changing lipid profile have the potential to significantly improve CVD prevention and management.

Herbal medicines have long been utilised as alternative or complementary treatments for a variety of ailments, including dyslipidaemia (Zarei et al., 2021). Telferia occidentalis and Vernonia amygdalina are two plants widely used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including hypertension and diabetes (Akah et al., 2007; Oyeyinka et al., 2021).

Telferia occidentalis, also known as “Ugwu” in Nigeria, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and contains several phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and carotenoids (Eze et al., 2021).

Vernonia amygdalina, popularly known as “bitter leaf” in Nigeria, is a member of the Asteraceae family and is high in phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds (Okwesili et al., 2021).

Several studies have looked into the hypolipidemic effects of Telferia occidentalis and Vernonia amygdalina in animal models of dyslipidaemia. In one study, Telferia occidentalis was reported to dramatically reduce blood TC, LDL, and TG levels in rats fed a high-fat diet (Iweala et al., 2019).

Vernonia amygdalina was found to dramatically lower serum TC, LDL, and TG levels in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes (Ohaeri et al., 2003). However, few research have examined the