Protective Effect of Laurus nobilis Extract against Hypercholesterolemia Damage in Male Rats

Laurus nobilis (Bay leaf) has been shown to possess various biological activities such as antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of bay leaf extract (BLE) in protection against high cholesterol diet (HCD) induced hypercholesterolemia. About thirteen compounds of essential oils were identified by GC/MS analysis including 1.8-cineole, Linalool and sabinene which represent the main volatile oils of bay leaf. Supplementation of BLE with HCD for 10 weeks resulted in reduction in the levels of some lipid contents (total cholesterol, triglycerides, Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and very Low-density lipoprotein -cholesterol), tumor necrotic factor-alpha and interleukin-6 as well as reduced activity of hepatic and cardiac enzymes. Also, feeding rats on HCD with BLE enhance the antioxidant status in liver and heart tissues with indicated inhibition of lipid peroxidation by reducing the level of malondialdehyde compared to HCD-fed rats. The results concluded that BLE may have an effective role in reducing high cholesterol levels.