Sains Malaysiana 40(4)(2011): 317–321

Anticholesterol Activity of Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) towards Hypercholesterolemic Rats

(Aktiviti Antikolestrol daripada Kacang Velvet (Mucuna pruriens L.) terhadap Tikus Hiperkolestromik)

Hana Ratnawati* & Wahyu Widowati

Medical Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Maranatha Christian University

Jl. Surya Sumantri 65, Bandung – 40164, Indonesia

Received: 9 December 2009 / Accepted 17 July 2010

ABSTRACT

Hypercholesterolemia is the main risk factor of atherosclerosis which is directly related to coronary heart disease. Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) is predicted to have potential anticholesterolemia since a previous study showed that this plant had high antioxidant activity. The purpose of this research was to determine the anticholesterol activity of crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction of velvet bean compared to simvastatin and vitamin E in decreasing the plasma level of total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride and increasing the HDL level on hypercholesterolemic rats. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into ten groups. Group I was fed with standard diet as negative control group and all the other groups were fed with high-fat diet and were given fructose solution. High-fat diet and fructose solution increased the level of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride and decreased the level of HDL-cholesterol significantly compared to the negative control group. The treatment groups were given 3 various doses of crude extract (50, 100, 200 mg/kgBW) and ethyl acetate fraction (15, 30, 60 mg/kgBW) of velvet bean, simvastatin 2.7 mg/kgBW and vitamin E 60 mg/kgBW daily for ten days. The data were analyzed by one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s Post Hoc Test. The best results were shown by 15 mg/kgBW of ethyl acetate fraction in decreasing total cholesterol and 60 mg/kgBW of ethyl-acetate fraction for the LDL-cholesterol, 200 mg/kgBW of crude extract in increasing HDL-cholesterol and 50 and 200 mg/kgBW of crude extract and 60 mg of ethyl acetate fraction in lowering the triglyceride.

Keywords: Anticholesterol; hypercholesterolemia; Mucuna pruriens L.; velvet bean

ABSTRAK

Hiperkolesterolemia adalah factor utama aterosklerosis yang berkaitan dengan penyakit jantung koronari. Kacang Velvet (Mucuna pruriens L.) diramalkan mempunyai potensi antikolestrolemia kerana kajian sebelumnya menunjukkan bahawa tanaman ini mempunyai aktiviti antioksida yang tinggi. Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan aktiviti antikolestrol ekstrak kasar dan bahagian etil asetat daripada kacang velvet dibandingkan dengan simvastatin dan vitamin E dalam menurunkan jumlah tahap kolesterol dalam plasma, LDL dan trigliserida serta meningkatkan kadar HDL pada tikus hiperkolesterolemia. Tiga puluh tikus jantan Wistar dibahagikan kepada sepuluh kumpulan. Kumpulan I diberikan diet standard sebagai kumpulan kawalan negatif dan semua kumpulan yang lain diberikan diet tinggi lemak dan larutan fruktosa. Diet tinggi lemak dan larutan fruktosa dapat meningkatkan tahap jumlah kolesterol, kolestrol LDL dan trigliserida serta menurunkan kadar kolestrol HDL secara signifikan jika dibandingkan dengan kumpulan kawalan negatif. Kumpulan perlakuan diberikan 3 dos pelbagai ekstrak kasar (50, 100, 200 mg/kgBW) dan bahagian etil asetat (15, 30, 60 mg/kgBW) daripada kacang velvet, simvastatin 2.7 mg/kgBW dan vitamin E 60 mg/kgBW setiap hari selama sepuluh hari. Data dianalisis dengan Analisis Varian satu hala (ANOVA) dan Kajian Duncan Post Hoc. Keputusan yang terbaik ditunjukkan oleh bahagian etil asetat dengan 15 mg/kgBW menurunkan jumlah kolestrol dan 60 mg/kgBW bahagian etil asetat kolestrol LDL, 200 mg/kgBW ekstrak kasar dalam meningkatkan kolestrol HDL dan 50 dan 200 mg/kgBW ekstrak kasar dan 60 mg bahagian etil asetat dapat menurunkan trigliserida.

Kata kunci: Antikolesterol; hiperkolesteralemia; Mucuna pruriens L.; kacang velvet

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*Corresponding author; email: hanna_ratnawati@yahoo.com