Serum lipid stabilising effect of sarabat (Diplazium asperum Blume) aqueous extract in diet-induced hyperlipidemic wistar albino rats

Hyperlipidemia remains an important modifiable risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of the aqueous decoction of Sarabat (Diplazium asperum Blume) in lowering plasma lipid profile in albino rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Thirty Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups of six rats and, for 42 days, were administered plain water and standard pellets (negative controls), lard and cholesterol (hypercholesterolemic animals), low and high dose Sarabat decoction (1 and 2 g/100ml water respectively) and Simvastatin as a positive control. The effects of D. asperum Bl. (Sarabat) decoction on rat lipid profiles was assessed by measuring the plasma Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL). Administration of lard and cholesterol showed gradual elevation of total cholesterol and similarly for the other lipid parameters with an increasing lipid profile after a two-week metabolic adjustment period. Concurrent administration of Sarabat (D. asperum Bl.) decoction showed a promising decrease in total cholesterol serum concentration (p<0.006), and an increase in High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) was notable. These findings suggest the cholesterol and lipid buffering or modulating effects of saponin-rich Sarabat as potentially useful in the management of hyperlipidemia as part of diet therapy.