STUDY OF ANTIATHEROSCLEROTIC ACTIVITY OF POLYHERBAL PREPARATION USING RAT AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODEL

Atherosclerosis is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. The present study highlights the antiatherosclerotic activity of Methanolic extract of polyherbal preparation in experimentally induced atherosclerotic rats. Atherosclerosis was developed in male Albino Wistar rats, which were randomly divided into five groups of six animals each; by feeding with high cholesterol diet for 21 days. Group 1 received normal diet. Group 2 received high cholesterol diet (HCD) which served as control. Group 5 served as standard, administered with Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) along with HCD and Group 3 and Group 4 were administered with methanolic extract of polyherbal preparation (300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg) along with HCD. Methanolic extract of polyherbal preparation reduced the raised serum level of total cholesterol,  triglyceride , LDL ,VLDL and increased the serum  HDL level as compared to the control group(High cholesterol group).There was increased HMG CoA/Mevalonate ratio in liver. There was also depletion of GSH content and increased level of SOD and MDA in liver. Methanolic extract of polyherbal preparation treated groups (300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg) exhibited less damage to endothelial lining of aorta as compared to control group (High Cholesterol Diet),which may be attributed to hypo-cholesterolemic activity of polyherbal preparation, which may be attributed to hypocholesterolemic activity of polyherbal preparation.