Zingiber officinale extract maximizes the efficacy of simvastatin.

extract maximizes the efficacy of simvastatin as a hypolipidemic drug in obese male rats.

Mahmoud F Abdelhamid, Mohamed Hassan Sherif, Hazem R Abaza, Lamiaa M M El-Maghraby, Shimaa H Watad, A B Awad

Food Sci Nutr

Mar 1, 2024

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Abstract

Obesity became a serious public health problem with enormous socioeconomic implications among the Egyptian population. The present investigation aimed to explore the efficacy ofextract as a hypolipidemic agent combined with the commercially well-known anti-obesity drug simvastatin in obese rats. Thirty-five male Wister rats were randomly divided into five groups as follows: group I received a standard balanced diet for ten weeks; high-fat diet was orally administered to rats in groups II-V for ten weeks. From the fifth week to the tenth week, group III orally received simvastatin (40 mg/kg B.W.), group IV orally receivedroot extract (400 mg/kg B.W.), and group V orally received simvastatin (20 mg/kg B.W.) plusextract (200 mg/kg B.W.) separately. Liver and kidney function tests, lipid profiles, serum glucose, insulin, and leptin were determined. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of PPAR-γ, iNOS, HMG-CoA reductase, and GLUT-4 genes was carried out. Caspase 3 was estimated in liver and kidney tissues immunohistochemically. Liver and kidney tissues were examined histologically. The administration ofextract plus simvastatin to high-fat diet-fed rats caused a significant reduction in the expression of HMG-coA reductase and iNOS by 41.81% and 88.05%, respectively, compared to highfat diet (HFD)-fed rats that received simvastatin only. Otherwise, a significant increase was noticed in the expression of PPAR-γand GLUT-4 by 33.3% and 138.81%, respectively, compared to those that received simvastatin only. Immunohistochemistry emphasized that a combination ofextract plus simvastatin significantly suppressed caspase 3 in the hepatic tissue of high-fat diet-fed rats. Moreover, the best results of lipid profile indices and hormonal indicators were obtained when rats receivedextract plus simvastatin.extract enhanced the efficiency of simvastatin as a hypolipidemic drug in obese rats due to the high contents of flavonoid and phenolic ingredients.