Sesamol treatment reduces plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels in mouse models of acute and chronic hyperlipidemia

The active constituents of Sesamum indicum, sesamin and sesamolin, have already been explored for hypolipidemic action. In this study we have explored the anti-dyslipidemic activity of another active component and metabolite of sesamolin (sesamol), by using acute models of hyperlipidemia viz., a fat tolerance test, a tyloxapol-induced hyperlipidemia model and a chronic model of hyperlipidemia viz., a high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia model in Swiss albino mice. Sesamol (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased triacylglycerol absorption in the fat tolerance test by showing a dose-dependent decrease in triacylglycerol levels. The hypolipidemic effect of sesamol at 200 mg/kg was equivalent to 10 mg/kg of orlistat. In the tyloxapol-induced hyperlipidemia model, Sesamol at 200 mg/kg reversed the elevated levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerol compared with the tyloxapol group at 12 and 24 h, which indicates its probable effect on cholesterol synthesis. Chronic hyperlipidemia in mice was produced by feeding a high-diet, a mixture of cholesterol (2 % w/w), cholic acid (1 % w/w) and coconut oil 30 % (v/w) with standard powdered standard animal chow (up to 100 g). Niacin (100 mg/kg) and sesamol (100 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the elevated body weight compared with the high fat diet control group. Elevated levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerol were significantly (P < 0.05) reversed by the sesamol (50 and 100 mg/kg), implying that it might reduce the absorption and increase the excretion of cholesterol as well.