The effect of garlic and garlic tablet on blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis in rats with high cholesterol diet

Garlic, Allium Sativum, has a long history of medicinal use by cultures around the world. It has been used in the traditional medical to reduce the risk of several diseases, mainly of the cardiovascular system. It is believed that garlic exerts preventative rather than curative effects. Compounds from these plants with proven results may then be synthesized in large amount commercially for wider circulation throughout the world for global marketing. So the present study was planned to investigate the prophylactic efficacy of garlic extract on atherosclerosis. Fifty-six white wistar rats with the same age and average weight of 250 grams were selected in this study. Rats were randomly divided into eight groups. They received high cholesterol diet plus garlic and garlic tablet daily in different dosages for four months. Control group received only high cholesterol diet. At the end of the study, they anesthetized with ether and blood samples were taken. Then they euthanized and dissected for sampling from carotid, aorta and liver. The results from this study showed that garlic and garlic tablet administration cause a significant decrease in cholesterol levels and LDL/HDL ratio, but triglyceride levels did not show any significant changes. The histopathology results showed that garlic and garlic tablet administration caused a significant decrease in atherosclerosis incidence in cholesterol fed rats. So it could be concluded that garlic and garlic tablet have beneficial effects on cholesterol reduction and reducing the rate and intensity of atherosclerosis in high cholesterol diets.