Abstract
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a direct relationship of increased lipid profile, particularly low density lipoprotein
cholesterol to the incidence of coronary heart diseases. Ethanol extract of test species of seaweed Iyengaria stellata (brown) and
Solieria robusta (red) significantly decreased the serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol
levels in normal rats and triton-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. Feeding of the extracts @ 10 mg /200 g body weight daily for 12 days in
animals maintained on high fat diet showed decrease in lipid and LDL-cholesterol with subsequent significant increase in high density
lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in rats treated with these seaweeds. Solieria robusta was found most effective in reducing the lipid
profile particularly in high fat diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. Water extract of I.stellta and S. robusta showed significant
hypolipidaemic potential in normal, triton and high fat-diet induced hyperlipidaemic rats. In triton-induced hyperlipidaemic rats both
the seaweeds demonstrated more than 50% reduction in the level of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol. Iyengaria
stellata showed better results in lowering LDL-cholesterol level as compared to S. robusta in high fat-diet induced hyperlipidaemic
rats
