Rm. Silva et al., The lipid-lowering effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin, a clerodane diterpene from Croton cajucara Benth. in mice fed on high-fat diet, J PHARM PHA, 53(4), 2001, pp. 535-539
The clerodane diterpene trans-dehydrocrotonin extracted and isolated from t
he stem bark of Croton cajucara Benth. was investigated for its lipid-lower
ing effect in mice fed on a high-fat diet, Mice fed on a high-fat diet for
a two-week period demonstrated significantly increased blood levels of tota
l cholesterol and triglycerides, compared with normal controls. Oral treatm
ent with trans-dehydrocrotonin at a dose of 25 or 50 mg kg(-1) daily marked
ly suppressed the high-fat-diet associated rise in total cholesterol and tr
iglyceride levels. The hypocholesterolaemic effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin
was more prominent at the dose of 50 mg kg(-1) with significant decreases
in high-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein and low-density l
ipoprotein cholesterol levels. The lower atherogenic index of the trans-deh
ydrocrotonin-treated groups suggests the hypolipidaemic potential of this p
lant-based drug. These results indicate that orally administered trans-dehy
drocrotonin is effective in suppressing high-fat-diet-induced hyperlipidaem
ia in mice and suggest its likely beneficial use as antiatherogenic agent.