O Mundo da Saúde (Jan 2016)
Hibiscus cannabinus: effects on nutritional parameters and biochemical of rats dyslipidemic
Abstract
The plant Hibiscus cannabinus (Hc) is used in folk medicine for inflammatory treatments. There are few studies that characterize the anti-hyperlipidemic potential of this plant, mainly flowers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry extract of Hc flowers in nutritional and biochemical parameters of dyslipidemic mice. 21 male rats and adults were divided into three groups: Group C - standard diet; Group D - fat diet; DH Group - plus fat diet dry extract of Hc flowers. The study lasted seven weeks. In two weeks the animals in Groups D and DH received high fat diet for induction of dyslipidemia, then the DH group received treatment with Hc (500mg / kg weight) for five weeks. Group C received standard diet (AIN-93M) during the study. The animals were kept in a controlled environment, being collected body weight, food intake, water intake, urinary and fecal excretion. At the end of the study the blood was used for biochemical determinations and weight of organs for comparison between groups. The DH Group, the 7th week of the study, showed lower food consumption compared to Group C and increased fecal excretion in the 2nd and 4th weeks, compared to Groups C and D. The variables body weight, water intake and urinary excretion were not influenced the Hc extract of flowers. The dyslipidemic diet increased liver weight in Groups D and DH. The Hc was not effective in maintaining the normal parameters of the variables studied, with the exception of food and fecal excretion consumption.