Trichosanthes Cucumerina Fruit Extenuates Dyslipidemia, Protein Oxidation, Lipid Peroxidation and DNA Fragmentation in the liver of high-fat diet-fed rats

The effect of Trichosanthes cucumerina fruit pulp extract on dyslipidemia, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation in the liver of high-fat diet-fed rats was investigated. High-fat diet-mediated alterations in liver and serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly (P < 0.05) reversed by the T. cucumerina pulp extract. The extract increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the mitochondria and post-mitochondria fractions of rat liver. The increase significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated high-fat diet-mediated reductions in antioxidant enzyme activities. High-fat diet-mediated elevation in the levels of conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl and DNA fragmentation in rat liver was dose-dependently lowered by the extract. The data obtained from this study showed that the T. cucumerina fruit pulp extract palliated high-fat diet-mediated dyslipidemia, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and DNA fragmentation in rats. Practical Applications Trichosanthes cucumerina fruit pulp can be developed into a nutraceutical product to treat liver disorders. It can also be consumed at home and as substitute to Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. The fruit pulp of T. cucumerina is sweet tasting, aromatic, deep red in color and does not go sour as quickly as paste of L. esculentum.