Trigonella foenum graecum derived mucilage supplementation in diet alleviates the progression of atherosclerosis in high cholesterol diet-fed rabbit model by regulating inflammation

Abstract Hypercholesterolemia is the risk factor that leads to atherosclerosis, which is the primary cause of mortality and morbidity in the developing and developed countries. This problem magnitude is profound as atherosclerosis claims more lives than all types of cancer combined, and the economic costs are considerable. Now, herbal medicine has grown in popularity all over the world. The present research work was undertaken to assess the effect of Trigonella foenum graecum (Fenugreek) mucilage (FGM) on inflammatory mediators and antioxidants in atherosclerotic progression. Male white rabbits of New Zealand strain were used in this study. Rabbits were grouped into three and fed with varying diets for 90 days: Group I - normal diet, Group II - high cholesterol diet (HCD), and Group III - HCD + FGM (75 mg/kg body weight). FGM supplementation decreased the total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, triglycerides, and increased HDL-C levels significantly compared with HCD fed rabbits showing its atherogenicity. Administration of FGM significantly reduced the activities of inflammatory enzymes, inflammatory mediators, and acute-phase proteins which were elevated by HCD. The supplementation maintains the activities of antioxidant enzymes and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) that highlights its antioxidant role. The effect of FGM was further buttressed using the histopathological examination of the aorta. These findings indicated that FGM held promising potential to be further developed into a novel therapeutic agent for atherosclerosis.