Water-soluble extract of Coleus barbatus modulates weight gain, energy utilization and lipid metabolism in secondary biliary cirrhosis: an experimental study in young rats

ABSTRACTPurpose: To test if a water extract of Coleus barbatus (WEB) has any effect on weight gain, food energy utilization andlipid metabolism in young rats with obstructive cholestasis. Methods: Forty 21 day old (P21) Wistar rats, in groups of 10,were submitted to one of the following treatments: a sham operation with daily water or WEB administration, doubleligature and resection of the bile duct with daily water or WEB administration. At P49 they were submitted for euthanasiawhen the following were determined: ingested feed (IF), energy utilization (EU) and weight gain (WG) from P29 to P49,together with total serum cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations, liver wet weight (LWW) and fatcontent (LFC). Two Way ANOVA and the S.N.K. test for paired comparisons were employed to study the effects ofcholestasis and those of WEB and their interactions (p≤0.05). Results: Cholestasis, independently of WEB, and WEB,independently of cholestasis both reduced IF, EU, and WG, but there was no significant interaction between the twofactors. Cholestasis, independently of WEB, increased LWW, LFC, the TC and TG. The WEB, independently of cholestasis,reduced these values, and there was a significant interaction between the two factors; such that these effects were moreaccentuated in animals with cholestasis.