Wild Medicinal Plants as Hypocholesterolemic Agents

The progress of civilization, intake of great amounts of fatty diets, lack of exercise, smoking habits and mental stress participate in hypercholesterolemia and the resultant arteriopathies. Hypercholesterolemia is a clinical syndrome associated with an abnormally high plasma cholesterol level that increased cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol which known as the "bad" cholesterol especially when it becomes oxidized. Many drugs and some natural supplements are used in an effort to lower LDL levels. World-wide interest in the use of medicinal plants is increasing. Herbal plants are now being effectively tried in a variety of pathophysiological states. Studying indigenous folk-medicinal plants is vital because such plants are fully adapted to local environments and to conditions compared with any introduced species. The present book deals with the characterization of bioactive lipids from the Pulicaria incise, Diplotaxis harra, Avicennia marina grown wild in Egypt. In addition the main goal of the present study is to evaluate the possible role of administrating P. incisa, D. harra and A. marina as hypocholesterolemic agents by using male albino rats.