Lipid lowering effect of aqueous leaves extract of Murraya koenigii (curry leaf) on alloxan-induced male diabetic rats

Abstract

Murraya koenigii leaves is considered extensively in the indigenous system of medicine as an antidiabetic agent in many Asian countries. The current investigation focuses attention on the lipid lowering property of the aqueous extract of Murraya koenigii leaves on experimentally induced diabetes in rats. The lipid parameters studied are plasma total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), very low density cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and phospholipids (PL). Extracts were orally administered daily for 8 weeks at dose of 600 mg/kg in alloxan diabetic rats. The levels of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, VLDL-C, triglyceride and phospholipids were reduced significantly (P<0.05), while HDL-C levels did not alter significantly in rats given, aqueous extracts of Murraya koenigii when compared to diabetic control rats. In conclusion, these results showed that Murraya koenigii leaves extract when administered orally, can reduce plasma lipids level. These results further suggest that Murraya koenigii may be useful in the therapy and management of diabetic hyperlipidemia through reducing lipid levels.

Keywords: alloxan; diabetes mellitus; hyperlipidemia; Murraya koenigii