The Potency of Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) Bark as a Hypercholesterolemia-preventing Agent in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

Bark is a major by-product from the wood processing industries. However, the bark has not been intensively utilized. In this study, mahogany bark was investigated the potency as hypercholesterolemia-preventing agent in white rats. The thirty five male rats were divided into five groups with seven rats in each group. Rats in normal group were fed with standard rat feed. Hypercholesterolemic rats (negative control group) were fed with cholesterol feed (0.86%) and propyl tiouracyl at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight. Lovastatin, a commercial drug, was administered to positive control rats at a dose of 0.286 mg/kg body weight together with cholesterol feed. Mahogany bark hot water extract were administered to the other rats groups at doses of 4.2 mg/kg and 21 mg/kg body weight as well as cholesterol feed. The experiment was carried out for eight consecutive weeks. The total blood cholesterol concentrations were analyzed every two weeks by enzymatic cholesteroloxidase phenol amino phenazone method (CHOD-PAP) and spectrophotometer at 500 nm of wave length. The results showed that administration of cholesterol feed and propyl tiouracyl in hypercholesterolemic group has increased the total cholesterol concentration to reach 52.7%. 'While the mahogany bark extract at the dose of 21 mg/kg body weight could successfully reduce the increasing of total cholesterol level by 35.8% compared to lovastatin which reduced the increasing of total cholesteroi level by 33.8%. Therefore, the mahogany bark has a potenti31 of a hypercholesterolemia-preventing agent.