Study of anti-hypercholesterolemic and antioxidant activities of Hylocereus polyrhizus fruit extract Available to Purchase

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is becoming popular among Malaysian's communities and has been planted commercially in Malaysia. The fruit contains high nutritional value and can promote health. However, there is a little information regarding the lipid lowering effect of red dragon fruit extract on Sprague-Dawley rats. The anti-hypercholesterolemic activity of H. polyrhizus fruit extract was investigated using poloxamer 407 (P-407) and high cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Moreover, antioxidant properties using tests involving, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) were assessed. Standard testing protocols reveals the presence of phytochemicals such as polysaccharide, flavonoid, and phenolic compounds. The effect of the extract on the lipid profile was assessed by measuring total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol HDL-C and coronary risk index (CRI) in the serum of the rats. Treatment with H. polyrhizus fruit extract did not significantly lower the lipid profile of the rats in P-407-induced models. However, H. polyrhizus fruit extract significantly reduced the serum TC and LDL-C levels in the high cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesteremic rat model. The fruit extracts show antioxidant activity. The phenolic, flavonoid, and polysaccharide contents of H. polyrhizus fruit extract were 6.22 ± 0.46 mg GAE/g, 0.28±0.02 mg QE/g, and 25.4±3.2 mg/g, respectively. In conclusion, H. polyrhizus fruit extract exhibited considerable anti-hypercholesterolemic and antioxidant activity. However, further studies are needed to confirm the contribution of phenolic and flavonoid groups to the anti-hypercholesterolemic activity.