By Ihedioha, T. E., Okechukwu, V. N., and Ihedioha, J. I.
AIM: This study investigated the effects of aqueous leaf infusion of Pterocarpus santalinoides DC on serum lipid profile (SLP) of guinea pigs (GPs).
METHODS: Fresh leaves of Pterocarpus. santalinoides were collected in February 2015. Aqueous leaf infusion was freshly prepared daily by soaking dried ground P. santalinoides leaf in hot water for 10 minutes. Twenty female GPs were randomly assigned into 4 groups (A – D) of 5 GPs each as follows: Group A – distilled water placebo per os (control), groups B, C and D – 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 g/kg body weight (bw) of ground P. santalinoides leaf in 600ml of hot and cooled water per os respectively. Treatment was carried out for 28 days. Assay of SLP was done on days 0 (before treatment), and on days 14 and 28 of treatment following standard procedures.
RESULTS: The mean serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) of groups B, C and D rose to almost double its baseline values and was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of group A on day 28, while the mean serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) of group D was significantly lower (p