The present study investigated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of
myricitrin in hypercholesterolemic rats. Rats were divided into the following groups:
sham (standard food), control [1% high-
cholesterol diet (HCD)], 1 μM myricitrin + 1% HCD, 10 μM myricitrin + 1% HCD, 100 μM myricitrin + 1% HCD, and the positive control (10 mg/kg
body weight atorvastatin). The dose was given to rats via oral gavage for 45 consecutive days. Feeding of rats with 1% HCD caused substantial increases in the levels of
LDL, cholesterol, and
triglycerides (TG), while
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was reduced. However, rats supplemented with
myricitrin had reduced levels of
cholesterol, LDL, and TG to near-normal levels, whereas HDL was increased.
Catalase,
superoxide dismutase (SOD),
glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), and
reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were substantially reduced in the HCD-fed rats compared with
sham rats. However, the rats supplemented with 100 μM
myricitrin showed > 50% increases in these levels. Lipid peroxidation and
reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were reduced following
myricitrin treatment. The aortic cell wall area was significantly increased by 14.5% in HCD-fed rats. However, rats supplemented with 1, 10, and 100 μM
myricitrin showed significant reductions in the aortic cell wall area of 2.3%, 4%, and 27.5%, respectively. This is the first report of the anti-atherosclerotic and hypolipidemic effects of
myricitrin in hypercholesterolemic rats.
Myricitrin decreased the level of total serum
cholesterol and the role of aortic
atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rats.