Antiatherosclerotic effect of Caparis decidua fruit extract in cholesterol-fed rabbits

The fruit alcohol extract of the plant Capparis decidua (Frosk.) Edgew was investigated for its antiatherosclerotic activity. Hyperlipidemia was induced by atherodiet and cholesterol feeding to animals. Rabbits were fed Capparis decidua (500 mg/kg body weight) or pitavastatin (0.2 mg/kg body weight) in distilled water along with standard laboratory diet and atherodiet for 60 days. C. decidua fruit extract and pitavastatin were found to lower serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, and atherogenic index, but found to increase the HDL to total cholesterol ratio as compared with hyperlipidemic control group. Pitavastatin or C. decidua fruit extract treated hyperlipidemic rabbits showed a decrease in the lipid profile of liver, heart, and aorta. The plant extract feeding brings about a definite regression of atheroma and hindered plaque formation in aorta as compared with the hyperlipidemic control group. Thus, this study demonstrates that C. decidua fruit extract possesses hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects.