Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an essential oil (EO) of a traditional herb; Melissa officinalis (MO), on the lipid profile of rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet (HC). Twenty rabbits were divided into four groups (n=5 for each): Normal control (NC) which fed a standard diet and three cholesterol-fed groups: HC, HC + 1% MO, and HC + 3% MO groups which received 0%, 1% , and 3% EO, respectively for four weeks. Blood samples were collected on day 0 and then at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 to determine the levels of total serum cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TGs) and atherogenic index (AI). There were no significant differences in body weight gain and food intake in all groups. The HC apparently raised the TC, LDL-C, VLDL-C, HDL-C and TGs without significant accrual effect on AI. In comparison to NC group, EO in both HC + 1% MO and HC + 3% MO groups significantly decreased serum lipid and lipoprotein level whereas no significant effect on AI was observed. It can be concluded that EO extracted from MO leaves contributes to a lipid-lowering action in cholesterol-fed rabbits.

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