Anti-hyperlipidaemic effects of an essential oil of Melissa officinalis. L in cholesterol-fed rabbits

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an essential oil (eo) of a traditional herb; melissa officinalis (mo),on the lipid profile of rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet (hc). twenty rabbits were divided into four groups (n=5 for each): normal control (nc) which fed a standard diet and three cholesterol-fed groups: hc,hc + 1% mo,and hc + 3% mo groups which received 0%,1%,and 3% eo,respectively for four weeks. blood samples were collected on day 0 and then at weeks 1,2,3,and 4 to determine the levels of total serum cholesterol (tc),high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (hdl-c),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (ldl-c),very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (vldl-c),triglycerides (tgs) and atherogenic index (ai). there were no significant differences in body weight gain and food intake in all groups. the hc apparently raised the tc,ldl-c,vldl-c,hdl-c and tgs without significant accrual effect on ai. in comparison to nc group,eo in both hc + 1% mo and hc + 3% mo groups significantly decreased serum lipid and lipoprotein level whereas no significant effect on ai was observed. it can be concluded that eo extracted from mo leaves contributes to a lipid-lowering action in cholesterol-fed rabbits.