CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Lipid and
lipoprotein abnormalities play a major
role in the
development
and progression of coronary artery diseases. Low levels of high density
lipoprotein cholesterols have been identified as independent coronary risk
factors (Rodrigue et al., 2010). High level of blood cholesterol is
responsible for circulatory system disorder. Increase level of low density
lipoprotein (LDL) is alarming for cardiovascular diseases and their risk is
increased many times (Harman et al., 2011).
In developing countries, the occurrence of heart
diseases increases rapidly (Nordestgard et al., 2010). Medical studies
show that about 70% of adults over 50 years old suffer atherosclerosis.
(Sherien and Azza, 2009). A large number of synthetic hypolipidemic drugs are
available in market. Long term use of these drugs cause serious side effects,
and are costly.
A medicinal plant is any plant which in one or more
of its organ, contains substance that can be used for therapeutic purpose or
which is a precursor for synthesis of useful drugs (Sivakumar et al.,
2007). Plant contains a large number of bioactive phytochemicals that are
responsible for pharmacological action of plants and used for development of
drugs. Many
medicinal
plants have shown their antilipidemic effect and proved their efficacy in
cardiovascular diseases (Nordestgard et al., 2010; Wang, 1999).
One of such plants used very often in the management
of the disease by the traditional medicine practitioners of Eastern Nigeria is Desmodium
velutium, a perennial plant erect or semi-erect shrub or sub-shrub up to
3m light. It is widely distributed in subtropical Asia and tropical
Africa. (Amowi and Azode, 2012).
Extracts of Desmodium velutium are used
traditionally in some disease conditions particularly aphrodisiac and headache.
Hence,
Desomdium
velutium may be a source of a pharmacological active agent
useful in the treatment of aches, pains and diarrhoea. In Ghana, native
doctors mix the root of Desmodium lasincarpum with some hot peppers and
use it as enema to cure blood in urine. In Eastern States of Nigeria, the plant
locally known as “Ikeagwuani”. (Onyegbule et al., 2012).
In these present studies, I investigated the antilipidemic activity of the
water (H2O) extract of
Desmodium
velutinum Leaves on albino wistar rats.
No comments:
Post a Comment