Lipid Profile Responses to Ethanol Extracts of Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) and Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Diabetic dyslipidaemia, characterised by elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol alongside reduced HDL-cholesterol, is a major driver of cardiovascular complications in diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated the effect of ethanol extracts of chia seed (Salvia hispanica), tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus), and their combination on the lipid profile of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Sixty-three male Wistar rats were assigned to nine groups (n = 7): normal control (A), diabetic untreated (B), diabetic + 100 mg/kg metformin (C), diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg chia seed extract (D, E), diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg tiger nut extract (F, G), and diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg chia–tiger nut combination (H, I). Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal dose of 160 mg/kg alloxan monohydrate, and treatments were given by oral gavage for 21 days. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were determined at the end of treatment. Diabetic untreated rats (Group B) showed the most deranged lipid profile, with total cholesterol rising to 2.85 mmol/l, triglycerides to 2.10 mmol/l, and LDL-cholesterol to 2.09 mmol/l, alongside the lowest HDL-cholesterol (1.01 mmol/l), compared with 2.40, 0.60, and 1.20 mmol/l, respectively, and an HDL-cholesterol of 1.03 mmol/l, in the normal control. Rats treated with chia seed, tiger nut, or their combination, particularly at 300 mg/kg, showed total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol values close to normal control, together with the highest HDL-cholesterol values of all groups. These findings indicate that ethanol extracts of chia seed and tiger nut possess lipid-lowering and cardioprotective potential in alloxan-induced diabetes.