LIPID –LOWERING EFFECT OF ARTICKOKE ON PLASMA LIPIDS IN HYPERLIPIDEMIC RATS

: The present study was designed to investigate: The chemical composition of artichoke fruit and leaves, the phenolic compounds content, antioxidant activity of fruit and leaves extracts of artichoke , and evaluation the effect of artichoke fruit and leaves on plasma lipid profile. Treatment with artichoke fruit and leaves reduced all lipid profile significantly (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, risk ration and atherogenic index) and that artichoke leaves gave more effect than that of fruit. Reducing power and DPPH assay were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of aqueous, acetone, methanolic extracts of artichoke fruit and leaves. For reducing power assay the reducing power of methanolic extract of fruit and leaves was higher than the other two extracts. For DPPH assay, the antioxidant potential of artichoke leaves and fruit extracts were further highlighted by the quenching of DPPH free radicals. The values of absorbance for fruit extract ranged from 74.2 to 92.1 and 74.3 to 92 for leaves extracts . The antimicrobial activities against 6 types of bacterial strains, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus. The obtained results indicate that 400 mg / ml concentration exhibited the highest inhibitory effect on bacteria activity.