Hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activity of diallyl disulphide in rats

The efficacy of diallyl disulphide (DADS), a constituent of garlic oil, as a hypolipidaemic and antioxidant agent was evaluated in rats. In normolipidaemic rats DADS, at doses ranging from 10 to 50 mg kg−1, decreased plasma triglyceride without affecting cholesterolaemia and fast-or noradrenaline-induced lipolysis. DADS proved effective in reducing fructose-induced hypertriglyceridaemia and dietary hypercholesterolaemia in rats, in the latter model DADS significantly raised both the HDL cholesterol and the HDL/VLDL + LDL cholesterol ratio. DADS proved ineffective on triton induced hyperlipidaemia. To gain insight into the antioxidant effect of DADS, hepatic and cardiac antioxidant enzyme activity and glutathione content were studied in rats fed on a high diet and DADS. The antioxidant enzyme activity was significantly enhanced whereas glutathione content was markedly restored in rats fed on a high fat diet simultaneously with DADS. Thus, it appears that DADS exert antioxidant protection by activating the associated antioxidant enzymes.