Antihyperlipidemic efficacy of flavonoid‐rich fraction from spermacoce hispida seed on high‐fat‐diet fed rats: a dose‐dependent study

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the antihyperlipidemic effect of Spermacoce hispida seed‐flavonoid‐rich fraction by a dose‐dependent study. Lipid and lipoprotein profiles and the activities of lipid metabolizing enzymes were measured in plasma and tissues of high‐fat‐diet fed and control rats. The levels of plasma and tissue total cholesterol, triglycerides and plasma phospholipids, free fatty acids, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were reduced significantly, while high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly elevated in S. hispida flavonoid‐rich fraction (S‐Frf) fed groups when compared to high‐fat‐diet fed group. HMG CoA reductase activity significantly decreased while the lipoprotein lipase and lecithin cholesterolacyl transferase activities were elevated in rats fed with flavonoid‐rich fraction. Among the doses, 40 mg dose showed maximum effect. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of flavonoid‐rich fraction indicates that the antihyperlipidemic activity is due to the presence of ursolic acid, quercetin, isorhamnetin and hesperetin. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Spermacoce hispida Linn (Rubiaceae) was popularly known as “Nattaiccuri” in Tamil or “Shaggy button weed” in English. It is richly distributed in the Western ghats of Kerala state and in the Maruthamalai forest, which is an extension of Western ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. It has also been used as a substitute for coffee. It has also been reported that S. hispida contains the maximum percent of flavonoids among 25 plants analyzed. The results demonstrated that the flavonoid‐rich fraction from S. hispida seed decreased the levels of lipids in the plasma and tissues, though little less than atorvastatin, which is supported by histological studies. Hence, the compounds present in S. hispida seed offer promising potential remedy that may be used to reduces the risk in hyperlipidemic associated cardiovascular complications.