Histopathological comparison of the effect of Salvia sharifi and Salvia virgata extracts on hyperlipidemia in adult male rat

This study was aimed to compare the effects of Salvia Sharifi and Salvia Virgata on serum lipids and histopathology of liver in hyperlipidemic rats. Forty male adult Wistar rats were distributed into four groups as follow: (1) control, (2) hyperlipidemic rats, (3) hyperlipidemic rats received hydroalcoholic extract of S. Virgata (200 mg/kg bw) and (4) hyperlipidemic rats received hydroalcoholic extract of S. Sharifi (200 mg/kg bw). A high-fat diet was administered to rats for one month.Then, two rats were selected from each diet group and hyperlipidemia was confirmed by measurement of serum triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels. Groups 3&4 were orally treated by S. Virgata and S. Sharifi respectively for 21 days. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were obtained by heart puncture and used to determine serum triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels and liver specimens were obtained for histopathological investigations. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. The results showed that S. Sharifi extract significantly reduced serum triglyceride, cholesterol and LDL levels and increased serum HDL compared to untreated hyperlipidemic rats. Treatment with S. Virgata reduced serum triglyceride, cholesterol and LDL levels but serum HDL of rats in this group had no significant effect in comparison to hyperlipidemic group. In addition, S. Sharifi extract decreased hepatic lesions in comparison to hyperlipidemic rats received S. virgata. These results showed the protective effect of S. Sharifi and S. Virgata extracts on hyperlipidemia-induced liver injury and this protection was more pronounced in the group received S. Sharifi.