Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
Hyperlipidaemic is the presence of high levels of lipids in the blood. It is not a disease but a metabolic derangement, which can be caused by various diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. It is closely correlated with the terms "hyperlipidemia" (increased levels of lipids in the blood) and "hyperlipoproteinemia" (increased levels of lipoproteins in the blood). Therapeutic properties of prickly pear have very long been known in traditional medicine, however, the potential activities of the fruit, beyond nutritional benefits, have recently been explored. So, this study was done to evaluate the biological and immunological effects of some types of prickly pear in the Baha area on hyperlipidaemic rats. The study used (30) white Albino rats that were divided into 2 main groups; the first set of mice were infected with high levels of lipids and the second group was the negative control, contained non-infected mice. Then, the groups were divided into 5 sub-groups, including 4 groups fed with different concentrations of (5%, 10%, 15%) prickly pear and 1 control positive group infected with the disease and did not feed on the experimental diet and another negative control non-infected with this disease; means that all mice w were divided into five groups in each group of 6 mice. The results showed insignificant differences in HDL between all the groups of prickly pear and positive control, also no significant differences between both 5% and 10% prickly pear in triglyceride when compared with the negative control. Moreover, the results showed significant differences between all groups of prickly pear in serum IgM when compared with the control negative. The results indicated non-significant differences in total immunoglobulin between 10% prickly pear and 5% prickly pear groups when compared with the control negative. This study recommends using prickly pear for lowering LDL.
