The hypocholesterolemic and antioxidative effect of dietary diosgenin and chromium chloride supplementation on high-cholesterol fed Japanese quails

• Published in: Pakistan journal of biological sciences 2011-04, Vol.14 (7), p.425-432
• Main Authors: Al-Matubsi, Hisham Y, Nasrat, Nagham A, Oriquat, Ghaleb A, Abu-Samak, Mahmoud, Al-Mzain, Khtan A, Salim, Maher
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anticholesteremic Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Chromium - pharmacology; Coturnix; Dietary Supplements; Diosgenin - pharmacology; Erythrocytes - enzymology; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - chemically induced; Hypercholesterolemia - diet therapy; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Lipids - blood; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Random Allocation; Seeds; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Triglycerides - blood; Trigonella
• ISSN: 1028-8880
• DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2011.425.432

The current study investigated the effect of natural diosgenin extracted from fenugreek seeds, in comparison with the pure standard diosgenin, plus chromium chloride (CrCl3) supplementation on high-cholesterol fed Japanese quails. Quails were randomly divided into four groups. Group one (n = 25) fed experimental diet only (control; contained basal diet supplemented with 1% cholesterol), group 2 (n = 20) fed experimental diet supplemented with CrCl3 only (400 microg kg(-1) of body weight), groups 3 and 4 (n = 30 per group) were fed experimental diet supplemented with either 0.5% (w/w) of extracted diosgenin plus CrCl3 or pure standard diosgenin (0.5%) plus CrCl3 respectively, for 12 days. Blood samples were collected at days 0 and 12 for measuring levels of lipid profile. The work was carried out at Applied Science University and Amman University, Amman, Jordan during the period from October 2009 through October 2010. The mean levels of total cholesterol (TC) in control quails at d12 was significantly (p < 0.01) increased compare to those at d0. Supplementation of diet with CrCl3 alone or CrCl3 with diosgenin either extracted or pure standard for 12 days showed a significant (p < 0.01) decrease in TC and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels as compared to those in the control quails. While, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased significantly (p < 0.01) in quails supplemented with diosgenin and CrCl3. At d12, the mean Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activities in erythrocytes of quails in all supplemented groups was significantly (p < 0.01) increased as compared to those in control group and was more pronounced in erythrocytes of quails supplemented with pure standard diosgenin plus CrCl3. These results indicated that the combined diosgenin and CrCl3 supplementation to high-cholesterol fed quails might induce a protective effect by both regulating lipid and antioxidative damage.