Hypolipidemic Effect of Thymus munbyanus subsp. ciliatus Greuter & Burdet.: Guinea Pig as a Model for Tyloxapol-induced Hyperlipidemia

Abstract

Thymus munbyanus subsp. ciliatus Greuter & Burdet (T. munbyanus) is a thyme species with numerous traditional uses in Moroccan folk medicine. This thyme is rich in various bioactive compounds including polyphenols, and its intake would prevent several diseases, including hyperlipidemia and related disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity using in-vitro tests and the hypolipidemic potential of the aqueous extract of this thyme using tyloxapol-induced hyperlipidemia in the guinea pig model. We found that T. munbyanus aqueous extract exhibited great hypolipidemic potential by lowering elevated levels of cholesterol (-50.64 %) and triglycerides (-80.36 %). Additionally, the extract of this thyme revealed significant amounts of total phenolic compounds (140.36 GAE mg/gE) including flavonoids (111.98 RE mg/gE), and exerts good antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ = 0.43 mg/mL). We conclude that T. munbyanus aqueous extract is rich in antioxidant phytochemicals and its supplementation can be a useful natural treatment for the management of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Keywords: Guinea pigs
• hyperlipidemia
• lipid-lowering effect
• Thymus munbyanus; triton model