ISSN: 2577-4360
Authors: Asogwa KK, Ani ON*, Ubaoji KI, Enemali MO and Onuoha PN
Dyslipidemia is a traditional risk factor for atherosclerosis development. It is associated closely with increased endothelial production of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress play a major part in the development of chronic and degenerative ailments such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, cataract, ageing, cardiovascular and degenerative disease. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant effect of the ethanol extract of watermelon seed and the effect of watermelon seed oil on serum lipid profile of albino wistar rats was evaluated using standard methods. A total of 24 rats were used for the animal study. The animals were grouped into four of 6 rats each. Group ‘A’ served as the negative control and received normal feed with distilled water throughout the period of the experiment. Groups B, C and D received feed mixed with the watermelon seed oil at a ratio of 2%, 5% and 10% oil respectively. The results showed that the ethanol extract of watermelon seed scavenges free radicals with % RSA of 46.8% at a concentration of 500μg/ml which is comparable with that of BHA, a standard antioxidant (48.9%). It also has a ferric reducing capacity and ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation. The results obtained may be attributed to the high polyphenol content of water melon seed. From the result of animal studies, the oil reduced the LDL-c and increased HDL-c. This could be as a result of the unsaturated fatty acid and tocotrienol content of the oil. These results suggest that watermelon seed, when consumed along with watermelon fruit, could help in the management of obesity and prevention of lipid related diseases.
Keywords: In vitro antioxidant; Watermelon seed; Seed oil; Lipid profile
