Baccaurea angulata fruit juice reduces atherosclerotic lesions in diet-induced Hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Abstract

Background: Atherosclerosis is the most common disease of large and medium-sized arteries linked to oxidative stress, dyslipidemia as well as chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential health benefits of Baccaurea angulata (BA) fruit juice on the aorta of diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits, to detect an accumulation of fatty streak and evaluate the percentage of atherosclerotic lesion accrued.

Methods: Thirty-five healthy male adults New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to seven different groups. Four groups were fed 1% cholesterol diet and 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mL of BA fruit juice per kg of rabbit daily (atherogenic groups), while the other three groups were fed commercial rabbit pellet and 0, 0.5, and 1.0 mL of juice per kg of rabbit daily (normocholesterolemic groups) for 90 days. The thoracic and abdominal aorta between the heart origin and bifurcation into iliac arteries of all the rabbits were carefully removed and analyzed accordingly.

Results: The supplementation of the high-cholesterol diet of hypercholesterolemic rabbits with only 0.5 mL BA/kg rabbit per day significantly (p < 0.001) improved aortic lipid profile, attenuated aortic fatty streak development and reduced intima thickening. Higher BA doses used (1.0 and 1.5 mL/kg rabbit per day) also significantly (p < 0.001) decreased further the development of aortic fatty streaks, reduced the thickening of the tunica intima layer and preserved endothelial healing following arterial injury.

Conclusion: Therefore, BA fruit is a potential novel functional food with effective anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic and hypocholesterolemic activities.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Hypercholesterolemia; Intima thickness; Lesion; Lipid profile.

Fig. 1

Aorta histopathology a H&E stain b van Gieson stain (Magnification ×40). Both micrograhs show a pale-staining intima thickening area representing an early athermatous lesion consisting of aggregated myointimal cells containing lipid and some fibrous intima tissues. The media, however, appears normal at this stage, because early atheroma is confined to the intima. PC = Positive Control, C1, C2 & C3 are 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mL/kg/day atherogenic groups, respectively, NgC = Negative Control. Lu = Lumen, Fo = Foam cells & M = Tunica media

Fig. 2

Quantification of the atherosclerotic lesions of rabbits’ aorta using ImageJ. PC = Positive Control, C1, C2 & C3 are 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mL/kg/day atherogenic groups, respectively, NgC = Negative Control

Fig. 3

a semi-thin sections (1 μm) stained with toluidine blue stain examined under light microscope (Magnification ×40) & b ultra-thin sections (85–90 nm) stained with lead citrate and uranyl acetate examined under transmission electron microscopy. PC = Positive Control, C1, C2 & C3 are 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mL/kg/day atherogenic groups, respectively, NgC = Negative Control. L = Lipid-laden vacuoles