ABSTRACT:
Thespesia lampas Dalz and Gibs (Malvaceae) is considered in the system of folklore medicine for the treatment of diabetes. The present experimental investigation established the lipid lowering properties of the aqueous extract of roots of Thespesia lampas on experimentally triton induced (200 mg/kg) rats. The lipid parameters were studied total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), very low density cholesterol (VLDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). Extract was orally administered for one day at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg in triton induced rats. The level of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, VLDL-C and triglycerides were reduced significantly (p<0.001), while HDL-C level was significantly increased when compared to control group of rats. In conclusion, these data suggested that aqueous extract of Thespesia lampas (300 and 600 mg/kg) can reduce lipid levels.