EFFECT OF ASHWAGANDHA ON LIPID PROFILE AGAINST ENDOSULFAN INDUCED TOXICITY IN MICE

Poonam Kumari* and Bindu Kumari Singh

ABSTRACT

India is an agrarian country with crops cultivated at a huge scale. Pesticides in recent times have caused serious health hazards in the population which are widely used by the farmers for the better yield of crops. Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide, which is widely used by the farmers. But, in the present times, it has caused serious health hazards in the exposed population causing various diseases, including cancer. Hence, the present study on animal aims to observe the protective effect of Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) against endosulfan induced toxicity in Swiss albino mice. Endosulfan at the dose of 3.0mg/Kg body weight per day was administered orally to Swiss albino mice for 4 weeks. Then after, W. somnifera at the dose of 1000 mg/Kg b.w. was orally administered for 4 weeks. Mice were sacrificed after the completion of the entire treatment. After dissection, the blood samples were collected for biochemical assay, especially for lipid profile analysis. The lipid profile study showed inclination on in the Total cholesterol level (117±6.686 mg/dl), Cholesterol (LDL) (78.83±4.151mg/dl), level and Triglycerides level (60.83±2.613mg/dl), while declination in Cholesterol (HDL) (13.50±1.33mg/dl), level after Endosulfan exposure. But, upon Withania somnifera treatment to the endosulfan treated group showed significant (p<0.001) normalisation in the lipid profile levels. Therefore, it was concluded that Withania somnifera played a vital role to control the endosulfan induced toxicity.

Keywords: Endosulfan; Lipid profile; Swiss albino mice; Withania somnifera.