Mucilage of Cordia dichotoma seeds pulp: Isolation, purification and a new hypolipidemic agent in normal and hyperlipidemic rats

The Cordia dichotoma mucilage (21 g/kg) was of brown-yellowish color, soluble in water and forms viscous solution. Various parameters such as determination for carbohydrates, protein, monosugars, alkaloids, phenolic compounds amino acid and other properties, swelling index and viscosity were evaluated for characterizing the mucilage. It has a good swelling index of 76.35%. The mucilage was examined for purity by performing different phytochemical tests and showed that carbohydrates, alkaloids and amino acids were found to be present. Mucilage of C. dichotoma seeds pulp (CDM) was studied as a hypolipidemic agent on blood lipid status and oxidant stress in liver. Male albino Wistar rats were fed standard diet and others fed on high-fat diet for 10 weeks. Feeding on high-fat diet caused significant increase in serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as significant decrease on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Treatment with CDM by two doses; 0.50 and 1.00 g/kg normalized the lipid profile. Liver and kidney function were improved in normal and hyperlipidemic rats by CDM. Antioxidants enzymes, glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were decreased significantly by feeding on high-fat diet. CDM with two doses increased those significantly. Pathological study showed that feeding on high-fat diet caused fatty changes on liver and kidney of hyperlipidemic rats. These fatty changes were improved significantly by CDM. Administration CDM for normal rats caused improvements in all obvious parameters.