White Bean seeds and Pomegranate peel and fruit seeds as hypercholesterolemic and hypolipidemic agents in albino rats

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of soaked white bean seeds, pomegranate seeds and dried peels and their mixtures on the lipid profiles of rats suffering from hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. The chemical compositions of dried soaked beans and pomegranate (seeds and peels) were determined on dry matter which amounted to good values for proteins, lipids, crude fiber and phenols. Also, the phenol contents of pomegranate seeds and peels showed 16 compounds varying in amount between them. It was noticed that catechin and phenol are the dominating compounds. The obtained results showed a good hypolipidemic ability for soaked bean seeds and pomegranate (seeds, peels and their mixtures) as well as their mixtures. A bean seeds diet produced a general improvement in the clinical status of blood lipid profile (total lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c and VLDL-c), liver function (ALT, AST and bilirubin), kidneys function (uric acid, urea and creatinine), blood lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) by which hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia were reduced. The mixed diet had the best influence concerning biological studies than the other treatments which used bean seeds and pomegranate (seeds and peels) alone.

Keywords

• hypocholesterolemia
• hypolipidemia
• pomegranate (punica granatum)
• white bean (phaseolus vulgaris l.)