Anti-hyperlipidemic effect and phytochemical analysis of essential oil from Achillea ageratum L.

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess the impact of Achillea ageratum L. (A. ageratum) essential oil (EO) administered at a dosage of 50 mg/kg on triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemia in Wistar rats. The phytochemical composition of the EO was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing the prevalence of oxygen-containing monoterpenes, and oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, the principal constituents of A. ageratum EO included artemisyl acetate (54.09%), α-santalol (14.99%), and yomogi alcohol (8.98 %). The in vivo toxicity of this EO was assessed using the acute toxic class (ATC) method, revealing no adverse effects or mortality. The estimated LD50 exceeded 2 g/kg. Triton WR-1339 administration resulted in significant increase in hyperlipidemia-associated parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c), as well as lipid ratios (TC/HDL-c and TGs/HDL-c). In contrast, pretreatment with A. ageratum L EO for seven days demonstrated a notable preventive effect against the rise plasma lipid levels and lipid ratios. In summary, this study reveals the promising potential of A. ageratum L EO in managing hyperlipidemia, which highlights the necessity for further research to elucidate the specific mechanistic pathways implicated.