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Planta Med 2014; 80(13): 1067-1071
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1382999
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Rhapontin and Rhapontigenin from Rheum undulatum in Rats Fed a High-Cholesterol Diet

Sung-Pil Jo
1   Department of Public Health Science (BK21 PLUS Program), Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Jeong-Keun Kim
2   Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Korea Polytechnic University, Shihung-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
,
Young-Hee Lim
1   Department of Public Health Science (BK21 PLUS Program), Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
3   Department of Laboratory Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 08 April 2014
revised 21 July 2014

accepted 29 July 2014

Publication Date:
15 August 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Rhapontin was purified from a methanol extract from the roots of Rheum undulatum, and rhapontigenin was produced by an enzymatic transformation of rhapontin. Rats were fed a high-cholesterol diet to induce hyperlipidemia, followed by oral treatment with rhapontin or rhapontigenin (1–5 mg/kg/day). Rhapontin and rhapontigenin treatment resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) dose-dependent decrease in the serum lipid level, while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased slightly compared with the experimental control. Furthermore, rhapontin and rhapontigenin treatment improved the pathological characteristics of the degenerating fatty liver in high-cholesterol diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats dose-dependently. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in rhapontin- and rhapontigenin-treated hyperlipidemic rats were not significantly different from those in the control. These results indicate that rhapontin and rhapontigenin can be used as potent antihyperlipidemic agents.

Key words

Rheum undulatum - Polygonaceae - methoxylated stilbene - antihyperlipidemic effect - high-cholesterol diet

Supporting Information

 

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