Effect of Atorvastatin, Vitamin C, and Ginsenoside Rg1 on Improving Oxidative Stress and Interleukins in Hyperlipidemia in Male Rats
Department of surgery and obstetrics, College of veterinary medicine, University of Kirkuk.
Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Life Sciences, 2026, 11(02), 077–085.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjls.2026.11.2.0009
Publication history:
Received on 08 March 2026; revised on 08 April 2026; accepted on 12 April 2026
Abstract:
Background and Objective: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor in the development of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation within vascular and cellular tissues. Therefore, this physiological study aimed to evaluate the protective and therapeutic effects of atorvastatin, vitamin C, ginsenoside Rg1, atorvastatin + ginsenoside Rg1, and vitamin C + ginsenoside Rg1 in regulating oxidative stress biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines in the serum of male rats.
Experimental design: 35 male Sprague Dawley rats were used in the experiment, randomly divided into 7 groups of (5) rats each, including: a normal control group, a hyperlipidic group (fed on a high-fat diet with 2% cholesterol, beef fat and sugar), in addition to 5 hyperlipidic groups that were treated daily for 30 days as follows: atorvastatin (2 mg/kg), vitamin C (200 mg/kg), ginsenoside Rg1 (20 mg/kg), and the sixth and seventh groups were treated with (atorvastatin + Rg1) and (vitamin C + Rg1) respectively.
Results: The results showed that inducing hyperlipidemia led to a severe physiological deterioration characterized by a significant increase in the lipid peroxidation index (Isoprostane-8) and inflammatory cytokines (NF-κB, TNFα, IL-6), accompanied by a severe depletion of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants (GSH, CAT). In contrast, all therapeutic treatments reduced inflammation and peroxidation levels and enhanced the immune system (P≤0.05). The synergistic combination of Vitamin C and Ginsenoside Rg1 achieved the optimal physiological response, restoring these parameters to near-normal values.
Conclusion: We conclude from the current study that the physiological synergy between the natural antioxidant (vitamin C) and the bioactive compound (Rg1) has superior efficacy over monotherapy in suppressing the molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress and inflammation resulting from cellular lipid disorders.
Keywords:
Hyperlipidemia; Atorvastatin; Vitamin C; Ginsenoside Rg1; Oxidative Stress; Cytokines; Interleukins.
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