Antihypercholesterolemic and Antioxidative Potential of an Extract of the Plant, Piper betle, and Its Active Constituent, Eugenol, in Triton WR-1339-Induced Hypercholesterolemia in Experimental Rats

Table 3

Mean activities of enzymatic antioxidants and mean levels of nonenzymatic antioxidants and malondialdehyde in hepatic tissue samples* from Wistar rats.

Parameters tested	Group I; (control)	Group II; hypercholesterolemic,; saline treated	Group III; hypercholesterolemic,; lovastatin treated	Group IV; hypercholesterolemic,; Piper betle extract treated	Group V; hypercholesterolemic,; eugenol treated
SOD	7.1±1.4	4.5±0.5^a	5.0±0.4^ab	5.3±0.2^a	5.5±0.3^abc
CAT	53.8±3.5	40.1±4.0^a	42.9±3.2^b	43.8±0.2^ac	44.6±5.7^abd
GPX	31.3±5.5	13.4±1.1^a	20.8±1.3^ab	21.5±2.1^ab	22.4±0.7^ab
GST	17.0±4.4	8.4±1.0^a	14.4±1.8^b	14.5±0.6^abc	14.7±0.6^abcd
GSH	3.3±0.1	2.0±0.1^a	2.6±0.1^ab	2.7±0.1^ab	2.8±0.1^abd
VIT-C	2.3±1.4	1.6±0.6^a	1.7±0.8^a	1.9±0.7^ab	1.8±0.6^abcd
VIT-E	1.9±1.2	1.0±0.4^a	1.3±0.6^ab	1.5±0.1^abc	1.5±0.7^bcd
MDA	1.2±0.1	3.8±0.4^a	1.8±0.3^ab	2.0±0.2^abc	1.6±0.1^acd

∗Sampling done 10 days after induction of hypercholesterolemia and 7 days after start of treatment.
Values represent the mean ± SD for observations made on five rats in each group.
Units: CAT—µmoles of H₂O₂ utilized/min/mg protein.
SOD—units/mg protein.
Gpx—µmoles of GSH oxidized/min/mg protein.
GST—µmoles of c-DNB formed/min/mg protein.
GSH—microgram of reduced glutathione/mg protein.
Vitamins C and E—micrograms/mg protein.
MDA—µmoles of MDA produced/mg protein.
Statistical analysis: one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), where significant, post hoc testing (least significant difference) done for intergroup comparisons.
CAT: catalase, SOD: superoxide dismutase, Gpx: glutathione peroxidase, GST: glutathione-S-transferase, GSH: reduced glutathione, MDA: malondialdehyde, H₂O₂: hydrogen peroxide, c-DNB: 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene.
^aStatistically significant difference (𝑃<0.05) when compared with group I values.
^bStatistically significant difference (𝑃<0.05) when compared with group II values.
^cStatistically significant difference (𝑃<0.05) when compared with group III values.
^dStatistically significant difference (𝑃<0.05) when compared with group IV values.