Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for incidence of
coronary artery disease.
Simvastatin is a synthetic
lipid lowering
drug and Nigella sativa seeds found helpful in controlling
hyperlipidemia. The study performed to evaluate the efficacy of Nigella sativa in comparison to
simvastatin to treat
hyperlipidemia. Thirty Sprague Dawley rats fed on an ad libitum diet for 02 weeks, on
cholesterol diet for 08 weeks. Then group II treated with
simvastatin and group III with Nigella sativa for 06 weeks. Blood samples analyzed for serum
cholesterol, serum
triglycerides, HDL-C,
LDL-C & serum ALT. The results evident that Nigella sativa (kalonji) and
simvastatin showed significant improvement in the
lipid profile of rats in respective groups
after treatment. The p value <0.05 of group II and III documented that Nigella sativa (kalonji) affect the
lipid profile in the same way as of
simvastatin. However, ALT levels significantly raised in group II treated with
simvastatin compared to group III. Nigella sativa and
simvastatin showed comparable effects in the treatment of
hyperlipidemia. Nigella sativa showed protective role in terms of hepatic dysfunction and can be used as a
cholesterol lowering agent.