Antihyperlipidemic effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Basidiomycete Pycnoporus sanguineus (Fr.) Murr. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

One of the consequences of diabetes mellitus is deregulation in lipid metabolism, resulting in an increase in triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the blood. This study evaluated the effect of the Pycnoporus sanguineus hydroalcoholic extract on lipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Rats received P. sanguineus extract for 4 weeks in the drinking water at a dose of 10 mg/Kg/day. Lipid profile, glucose and hepatic damage in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were evaluated. Also, the chemical composition of P. sanguineus extract, cytotoxicity and HMG-CoA reductase activity in vitro were evaluated. The treatment significantly reduced triglyceride levels in the group of diabetic rats treated with the extract (DBT Pyc) compared to the group receiving water without extract (DBT H2O). For total cholesterol, reductions in the DBT Pyc group were also observed in relation to the DBT H2O group. The HMG-CoA reductase activity was not affected by P. sanguineus extract. Our findings demonstrated significant anti-hyperlipidaemic activity of P. sanguinues extract in diabetic rats. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of the P. sanguineus extract, which provides a new possibility for development of drugs to control hyperlipidaemia and provides impetus for further studies.