Hypolipidaemic and antioxidant properties of ethanol extract from <i>Flos populi</i>

<div><p>This study was undertaken to evaluate antihyperlipidaemic and <i>in vitro</i> antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of <i>Flos populi</i> (EFP). The results demonstrated that EFP contains 78.5% flavonoids and 10.4% phenolics, and it exhibited free radical-scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (IC₅₀ 36.40 ± 0.62 μg/mL) and high reducing power (EC₅₀ 206.32 ± 1.6l μg/mL) under <i>in vitro</i> chemical assays. And irrespective of prophylactic administration or remedial administration, in high fat diet-induced hyperlipidaemic mice, oral treatment with EFP produced a decrease in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. In a word, in high fat diet-fed hyperlipidaemic mice, EFP (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly altered the plasma lipid levels to near normal. These results support a potential effect of EFP in cardiovascular disease.</p></div