The lipid-lowering effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin, a clerodane diterpene from Croton cajucara Benth. in mice fed on high-fat diet

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.