Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Potential of Syngonium podophyllum L. Leaves against Hypercholesterolemia in Rats: Liver, Kidney, and Heart Crosstalk

Abstract

Background: One of the main risk factors for atherosclerosis is hypercholesterolemia Objective: This study aimed to assess hypercholesterolemia's effect on the liver, heart, and kidney and the impact of Syngonium podophyllum L. leaves methanolic extract as a treating agent in a rat model. Methods: Flavonoid components were isolated and identified from the methanolic extract of Syngonium podophyllum L. leaves. Total serum leptin, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT), urea, and creatinine levels were all measured as part of the biochemical evaluation. The liver tissue was tested for levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and DNA fragmentation. Results: Thirty-nine compounds were identified by GC/MS profiling of the n-hexane fraction of Syngonium podophyllum L leaves. The major volatile constituents were decane, 4-methyl, decane, N-acetyl 3-pentenyl, 1-amine, 2-methyl, 1-hexene, and 3-hydroxy, propanenitrile, while the major phenolic compounds isolated from methanolic extract were luteolin-7- α-L rhamnoside-4'- O-β-glucopyranoside (1), apigenin 6, 8-di-C-β-glucopyranoside (vicenin 2) (2), quercetin-3-Oα-L-rhamnoside (3), quercetin-7-O-β-glucoside compound (4), luteolin-7-O-β-glucoside (5), 5- hydroxy-6,7,8,4'-tetramethoxy flavone (6), gallic acid (7) and quercetin (8). Hypercholesterolemic rats revealed significant alterations (p ≤ 0.05) in the lipid profile, liver and kidney function, DNA fragmentation pattern and antioxidant indices. With oral cholesterol administration of 30 mg/0.3 mL, 0.7% tween/rats fed a high-fat diet for nine weeks, treatment with leaves extract (250 mg/kg body weight) was able to restore all biochemical parameters as well as the architectures of the liver and heart. Conclusion: Due to its abundance in physiologically active phenolic and flavonoid components, the methanolic extract of Syngonium podophyllum L. leaves successfully served as a hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, and antioxidant therapeutic agent.