The quest for a safe herbal remedy for the management of cardiovascular diseases prompted this research. It is aimed at determining the effect of orally administered ethanol extract of Piliostigma thonningiileaves on male albino rats. Extract of the leaf were first screened for the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents using standard methods and result reveals the presence of flavonids, tannins, steroids, phlobatannin, terpenoid, cardioglycosides and saponin at varying concentrations. Twenty (20) male albino Wistar rats were randomly assigned on the basis of average body weight into four (4) groups of five (5) rats each. While group A served as the control and received distilled water, group B, C and D were administered with 50,100 and 200mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively via oral gavages and treatment lasted for twenty-one (21) days. Results showed a dose dependent (P<0.05) decrease in serum LDL –cholesterol and Total-Cholesterol. However, a significance (P<0.05) increased was observed for HDL-cholesterol at 100mg and 200mg/kg body weight but no significance (P<0.05) changes was recorded for TG levels in all treatment groups. The Atherogenic risk predictor indices HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol (HDL-C/T.C) increases while LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol (LDL–C/ HDL–C) decrease with increasing dosage respectively. There are manifestations of hypo-cholesterelemia, hypo-triglyceridemia and antilipidemic activity in the serum of the treated animals which might be due to the bioactive constituents in the extract. It is speculated that the extract might serve as therapeutic tool for the management of the risk factor of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and other cardiovascular related disorders.
