antioxidant compound originally characterized from its host plant (Zhao et al.
2012 ). The Tanshinones are diterpenoid quinone compounds that have been
obtained from endophytic strains of theSalvia miltiorrhiza, particularlyEmericella
foeniculicolaTR21 (Ma et al. 2011 ), andTrichoderma atrovirideD16 (Ming et al.
2012 ).
10.3 Studies on Antihypercholesterolemic Activity
of Plants
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the major cause of death in the developed as
well as in the developing countries. Among CVDs, hypercholesterolemia is the
most important contributing factor responsible for development of CVDs and
atherosclerosis. Epidemiological studies have proved that the elevated levels of
blood cholesterol increase risk of CVDs several times. Krishnakumari and Priya
( 2006 ) evaluated hypolipidemic activity ofAchyranthes asperaagainst sesame oil
fed lipidemic rats. Rats treated with powdered seed aqueous extract of the plant
showed significant reduction in lipid profile parameters and increase in level of
high-density lipoprotein to normal level. Similarly, antihypercholesterolemic effect
ofPiper beetleethanolic extract and its purified eugenol constituent against triton
WR-1339 induced hypercholesterolemia in rats was demonstrated by
Venkadeswaran et al. ( 2014 ). Hypercholesterolemic rats treated with 500 mg/kg
body weightPiper beetleextract or 5 mg/kg body weight of the purified con-
stituent, eugenol orally for seven days showed significant improvement in param-
eters of lipid profile. The improvement by the plant extract was found to be at par
with that of standard lipid lowering drug, lovastatin at 10 mg/kg body weight.
Subash and Augustine ( 2012 ) evaluated hypolipidemic effects of methanol fraction
ofAconitum heterophyllumin diet-induced obese rats. Treatment of obese rats with
extract decreased level of total cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B and
increased the level of high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A level as
compared to control rats. In our laboratory, hypolipidemic effect of bark ethanolic
extract ofTerminalia arjunaagainst high fat induced hypercholesterolemic rats
treated with 40 mg/kg body weight of plant extract showed statistically significant
reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein, with a
concomitant increase in level of high-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein lipase, and
enhanced bile acid synthesis as compared to control rats (Patil et al. 2011 ).
A list of selected antihyperlipidemic studies of plant/plant extracts, along with
methods/model employed for study and high light of the obtained results in past
decade is shown in Table10.2.
218 S.I. Mohammed et al.