Protective effects of setarud (IMODTM) on development of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rabbits

Background: A new herbal drug setarud (IMODTM) containing selenium, carotene, andflavonoids, was expected to have positive effects on lipid metabolism and liver functions,due to the nature of its primary components. This study was designed to determineeffectiveness of the drug in reducing the risk of development of diet-inducedhypercholesterolemia in laboratory animals.Methods: Two groups of male rabbits (n=10 per group) as: intact and control groups onregular chow, were fed a high-cholesterol diet, and two experimental groups weremaintained on the same diet and treated with different daily doses (0.02 g/kg and 0.04 g/kg)of setarud (brand name IMOD®, Pars Roos, Iran). The treatment groups were thencompared with the intact and control groups and with one another for the effects of the drugwhich was determined by changes in blood sugar, serum lipid levels, and liver functiontests.Results: Results showed that drug had important benefits in alleviating the impact of highcholesteroldiet on serum lipids and liver function markers in drug-treated groups relative tohyperlipidemic controls (p 0.001). A more favorable modification of total cholesterol andtriglyceride levels and the atherogenic index was found in animals, which received 0.04g/kg drug, as compared to the 0.02 g/kg dose group (p 0.05). Assessment of serum totalprotein, albumin, transaminases, and bilirubin levels showed that no changes in liverfunction of control and drug-treated animals during the period of the study.Conclusion: From the results of this study it may concluded that setarud has dosedependentpositive effects on liver and lipid metabolism and may acts as an effective antihyperglycemicagent.