Evaluation of Anti-atherosclerotic Activity of Arogyavardhani in High-fat Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Wistar Rats

Abstract Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease, in which thickening or hardening of the arteries is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Arogyavardhani (AV) an Ayurvedic preparation possesses dyslipidemic and hepatoprotective activity and can be effective in AS. Objective: Current research aimed to study anti-atherosclerotic activity of AV in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced AS in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: A study group of 30 healthy male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. AS was induced by HFD for 60 days. After completion of induction, atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) and AV (109.4 mg/kg and 218.8 mg/kg) were administered orally for 20 days. The effect of the formulation was determined by biochemical and histopathology analysis. Results: AV significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very LDL, atherogenic index, serum transaminase, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and fibrinogen and increased high-density lipoprotein and total protein when compared to the disease control group. AV showed less damage to the aorta, liver, and kidney than the disease control group. Conclusion: The current study implies that AV might be a promising drug source for the treatment of AS.