Crataegus Oxyacantha (Hawthorn) Fruit – Histopathological Safety Profile in “Brain, Bone and Joint Tissue” of Dyslipidemic Rats

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the safety profile of ethanolic extract of Crataegus oxyacantha fruit in comparison with Atorvastatin om histological samples of brain, bone, and joint tissues.
Materials & Methods: A 2-month experimental study was conducted from July to September 2023 at Animal House of Akhtar Saeed Medical & Dental College on 48 male albino Wistar rats (aged 6 weeks) divided into 8 groups with 6 rats each, weighing 180-200 grams. Group 1 (Healthy Control) received a normal rat diet and 2 ml of Normal Saline for 2 months. Group 2 (Disease Control) was given a High-Fat Diet (HFD) and 2 ml of Normal Saline for 1 month, while 3-5 (Prophylactic Groups) received HFD along with Crataegus oxyacantha fruit's ethanolic extract, atorvastatin, and combination of them in doses of 40 mg/kg OD, 80 mg/kg OD and 20+40 mg/kg OD orally respectively for 1 month. Groups 6 to 8 (Therapeutic Groups) were given Crataegus oxyacantha fruit's ethanolic extract, atorvastatin, and in combination respectively after induction of dyslipidemia from the 30th to 60th day in the doses as mentioned above. Animals were sacrificed on the 30th day from Prophylactic Groups along with Group 2 and the remaining groups on the 60th day i.e., at the end of the study for the collection of brain, bone, and joint tissues. The histopathological results were analyzed by assigning percentages.
Results: Our study concludes that Crataegus oxyacantha which has hypolipidemic potential does not cause any organ damage in bone, joint, and brain tissue when compared to Atorvastatin.
Conclusion: Results show that Crataegus oxyacantha can be used as a safe alternative in treating hyperlipidemia
in comparison with Atorvastatin.