Publication: Changes in the brain cortex of rabbits on a cholesterol-rich diet following supplementation with a herbal extract of Tribulus terrestris
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Date
2009
Authors
Berkman, Zafer ; Tanriover, Gamze ; Acar, Goksemin ; Sati, Leyla ; Altug, Tuncay ; Demir, Ramazan
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
Extracts of the medicinal herb Tribulus
terrestris (TT) are used for treating various diseases. The
saponins, a component of TT, play a role in regulating
blood pressure and in treatment of hyperlipidemia. The
aim of the study was to investigate the immunohistochemical
and ultrastructural alterations in the cerebral
cortex of experimental rabbits on a cholesterol rich diet
treated with TT. The rabbits were divided into three
groups and followed for 12 weeks as control group
(CG); experimental group I (EG-I), fed with a
cholesterol-rich diet; experimental group II (EG-II),
treated with an extract of TT (5mg/kg/day) after a
cholesterol-rich diet of 4 weeks. In EG-I there were
ultrastructural changes, including mitochondrial
degeneration, increased lipofuscin pigments, myelin
sheath damage with axoplasmic shrinkage and electron
dense granules in the neurovascular unit. The number of
synapses apparently decreased in both experimental
groups. Administration of TT extract in EG-II led to
marked ultrastructural alterations in neurons, including
decreased mitochondrial degeneration (P<0.001) and
extensive oedematous areas in the neurovascular unit. However, in EG-II, lamellar myelin, axonal structures
and mitochondria were well protected. These alterations
possibly indicate that saponins have an effect on the
neurons either directly or by its conversion to steroidal
saponins. Therefore, these findings add further evidence
supporting the protective claims of TT in cerebral
architecture in dietary induced hyperlipidemia.
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