Combined Carica papaya and Alstonia scholaris Leaf Water Extracts Prevent Hypercholesterolemia and Lipid Peroxidation in Cholesterol Fed Rats

Papaya ( Carica papaya ) and pulai ( Alstonia scholaris ) are recognized for their antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidant effects with minimal side effects. An equal combination of their leaf extracts demonstrated a synergistic effect as an HMG-CoA inhibitor, comparable to that of lovastatin in vitro . This study evaluated cholesterol levels and lipid peroxidation inhibition in a hypercholesterolemic animal model induced by a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and propylthiouracil treatment. Sprague- Dawley rats were divided into three groups: Normal, Hypercholesterolemia, and Extract groups, which were subjected to treatment protocols over six weeks. The combination extracts (200:200 mg/kg BW) were administered and blood samples were analyzed for cholesterol and malondialdehyde levels. The results showed that hypercholesterolemia induction increased blood cholesterol to 173.72±5.6 mg/dL and MDA level to 19,44±4,59 nmol/mL. The extract treatment effectively decreased blood cholesterol levels by 27% and prevented lipid peroxidation, as shown by a 52% reduction in MDA levels (p<0.05).