Impact of Watermelon Seed Fortified Crackers on Hyperlipidemia in
Rats
Najla AlMasoud1*, Seemal Munir2, Taghrid S.
Alomar1, Roshina Rabail2, Syed Ali Hassan2,
and Rana Muhammad Aadil1,2*
1Department
of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman
University, P.O. Box 84427, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia; 2National
Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
*Corresponding author:
nsalmasoud@pnu.edu.sa
(NAM);
dilrana89@gmail.com
(RMA)
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia, commonly referred to as a high cholesterol condition, is a
significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, and
metabolic syndrome. This condition involves elevated blood levels of lipids,
which can be due to genetic or acquired causes. Researchers are increasingly
turning to alternative medicine to tackle this disease. The prime objective of
this study was to bring forth an innovative food product with significant anti-hyperlipidaemic
potential. Many natural foods contain certain medicinal properties which may
exert hypolipidaemic potential when taken on a daily basis. Watermelon (Citrullus
lanatus) seeds (WMS) are rich in nutrients and nutraceuticals that may have
potent effects against this disease. This research was designed to explore the
hypolipidaemic impact of WMS in the form of fortified crackers (WMS-C) given to
hyperlipidemic rats. A 21-day therapeutic trial was conducted on 12 male Wister
rats divided into three groups: G1: negative control normal rats, G2: positive
control high-fat diet fed hyperlipidemic rats, G3: 15% WMS-C fed group with
hyperlipidaemic rats. The results demonstrated that incorporating WMS-C into the
diet of hyperlipidaemic rats of G3 brought significant improvements in almost
all biomarkers when compared to the results of G2.
These significantly lowered body weight gain, total cholesterol, triglycerides,
and LDL cholesterol in WMS-C group has strengthened its nutraceutical
significance against hyperlipidemia and associated metabolic diseases.
Therefore, the regular dietary intake of WMS could lower the negative health
outcomes of CVDs and its associated health issues.
To Cite This Article:
AlMasoud N, Munir S, Alomar TS, Rabail R, Hassan SA, Aadil RM, 2024. Impact of
watermelon seed fortified crackers on hyperlipidemia in rats. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2024.234