THE EFFECT OF PUMPKIN (CUCURBITA PEPO L) SEEDS AND L-ARGININE SUPPLEMENTATION ON SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS IN ATHEROGENIC RATS

Authors

  • Abuelgassim O Abuelgassim
  • Showayman I A AL-showayman

Keywords:

arginine, low density lipoprotein, cholesterol, atherosclerosis, nitric oxide, C-reactive protein.

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effect of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seeds supplementation on androgenic diet-induced atherosclerosis. Rat were divided into two main groups , normal control and atherogenic control rats , each group composed of three subgroups one of them supplemented with 2% arginine in drinking water and the other supplemented with pumpkin seeds in diet at a concentration equivalent to 2% arginine. Supplementation continued for 37 days. Atherogenic rats supplemented with pumpkin seeds showed a significant decrease (p<0.001) in their serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL – C as they dropped from 4.89 mmol / L to 2.55 mmol /L and from 3.33 mmol / L to 0.70 mmol / L respectively. Serum concentrations of HDL-C were also significantly elevated in the same group. Although, atherogenic rats supplemented with 2% arginine showed significant increase in serum concentration of HDL-C, no significant changes were observed in their serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-C. Our results showed that treatment of atherogenic rats with pumpkin seeds significantly decreased serum concentrations of TC and LDL-C. Our findings suggest that pumpkin seeds supplementation has a protective effect against atherogenic rats and this protective effect was not attributed to the high arginine concentrations in pumpkin seeds.

Author Biography

Abuelgassim O Abuelgassim

Department of Biochemistry, King Saud University, P.O.Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

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Published

2011-08-04

How to Cite

Abuelgassim, A. O., & AL-showayman, S. I. A. (2011). THE EFFECT OF PUMPKIN (CUCURBITA PEPO L) SEEDS AND L-ARGININE SUPPLEMENTATION ON SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS IN ATHEROGENIC RATS. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 9(1), 131–137. Retrieved from https://journals.athmsi.org/index.php/ajtcam/article/view/1392

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Section

Research Papers