Basil is an aromatic plant that has been used as an herb, spice, condiment, and as a medicinal plant to treat health problems such as atherosclerosis and hyperlipidemia. To test the hypolipidemic and anti-lipoprotein oxidation activity efficacy of phenolic extract from sweet basil on these diseases the researchers induced hyperlipidemia in 12 mice models, of which 6 were treated with 200 mg per kilogram of body weight; LDL oxidation and hyperlipidemia are known contributors to the development of atherosclerosis.
Oral administration of basil extract was found to result in reductions in total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein, as well as helping to prevent blood lipid oxidation. The extracts were found to contain 4 major phenolics including rosmarinic acid, chicoric acid, caffeic acid, and caftaric acid which were found to be the major compound that may be responsible for the lipid lowering and antioxidant activities.
Based on their findings basil extracts are indicated to exhibit hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities that could be used to help lower elevated cholesterol levels and help to prevent atherosclerosis.
