Background: Peroxidation of lipid (LPO) membrane and cholesterol metabolism have been involved in the physiopathology of many diseases of aging brain. Therefore, this prospective animal study was carried firstly to find out the correlation between LPO in posterior brain and plasmatic cholesterol along with lipoprotein levels after chronic intoxication by aluminium chloride (AlCl₃). Chronic aluminum-induced neurotoxicity has been in fact related to enhanced brain lipid peroxidation together with hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, despite its controversial etiological role in neurodegenerative diseases. Secondly an evaluation of the effectiveness of fenugreek seeds in alleviating the engendered toxicity through these biochemical parameters was made.
Results: Oral administration of AlCl₃ to rats during 5 months (500 mg/kg bw i.g for one month then 1600 ppm via the drinking water) enhanced the levels of LPO in posterior brain, liver and plasma together with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and LDL-C (Low Density Lipoproteins) levels. All these parameters were decreased following fenugreek seeds supplementation either as fenugreek seed powder (FSP) or fenugreek seed extract (FSE). A notable significant correlation was observed between LPObrain and LDL-C on one hand and LDHliver on the other hand. This latter was found to correlate positively with TC, TG and LDL-C. Furthermore, high significant correlations were observed between LDHbrain and TC, TG, LDL-C, LPObrain as well as LDHliver.
Conclusion: Aluminium-induced LPO in brain could arise from alteration of lipid metabolism particularly altered lipoprotein metabolism rather than a direct effect of cholesterol oxidation. Fenugreek seeds could play an anti-peroxidative role in brain which may be attributed in part to its modulatory effect on plasmatic lipid metabolism.