Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Extract of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim Seed Oil Reduces Hyperlipidemia in Hamsters Fed High-Fat Diet via Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor y

Gang Chen^1,2,3, Xue Gao^2,3, Kong-Shu Zhen^2,3, Zhong-Yi Yin^2,3, Xu-Xu Zheng^2,3

¹School of Environmental and Biological Engineering; ²Chongqing Key Laboratory of Nature Medicine Research; ³Chongqing Key Laboratory of Catalysis and Functional Organic Molecules, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China.

For correspondence:- Xu-Xu Zheng Email: zxxchem@hotmail.com Tel:+8623-62768012

Received: 19 December 2013 Accepted: 16 September 2014 Published: 24 November 2014

Citation: Chen G, Gao X, Zhen K, Yin Z, Zheng X. Extract of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim Seed Oil Reduces Hyperlipidemia in Hamsters Fed High-Fat Diet via Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor y. Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(11):1837-1843 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i11.10

© 2014 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the anti-hyperlipidaemic effect of extract of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. seed oil (EZSO) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemic hamsters.

Methods: Following feeding with HFD for 30 days, hyperlipidemic hamsters were intragastrically treated with EZSO for 60 days. Serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were analyzed. Protein expression and location of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in liver were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemical assays, respectively.

Results: EZSO at 5 and 10 g/kg significantly reduced levels of TG by 26 and 23 % (p < 0.05), TC by 19 % (p < 0.01) and 13 % (p < 0.01), LDL-C by 18 % (p < 0.05) and 21 % (p < 0.01), NO by 15 % (p < 0.01) and 31 % (p < 0.01), and MDA by 16 % (p < 0.05) and 30 % (p < 0.01), respectively, in serum of hyperlipidemic hamsters. However, EZSO did not show significant effect on HDL-C level in serum. Furthermore, EZSO at 5 and 10 g/kg markedly promoted protein expression of PPARγ by 71 % (p < 0.05) and 102 % (p < 0.01) in liver tissue of hyperlipidemic hamsters. EZSO also notably increased the content of PPARγ protein in the nucleus of liver cells of hyperlipidemic hamsters.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that EZSO can reduce hyperlipidemia and improve oxidative stress in hyperlipidemic hamsters through activation of PPARγ, and that EZSO is a promising novel hypolipidemic health product.

Keywords: Zanthoxylum bungeanum, Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor ^7;, Hyperlipidemia, Hamster, High-fat diet