Background: Prolonged inhalation of petrol fumes is a significant occupational and environmental health hazard, associated with oxidative stress and dyslipidemia, which increase cardiovascular risk. The aim of this work was to evaluate the protective capacity of aqueous extracts derived from Emilia sonchifolia leaves, Bridelia ferruginea leaves and Rhizophora racemosa stem bark against alterations in the lipid profile of Wistar rats exposed to petrol fume exposure. Methods: The fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to nine experimental groups (6 per group). A normal control group received distilled water. The remaining groups were exposed to petrol fumes (4 hours daily for 28 days) and treated orally with either distilled water (positive control), Vitamin E (200 mg/kg, standard antioxidant), or one of the plant extracts at 200 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg doses. Blood was collected periodically for analysis of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL levels. Results: Exposure to petrol fumes induced significant dyslipidemic condition, marked by increased in total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL levels, coupled with a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, alongside a reduction in HDL. Treatment with all three plant extracts, particularly at the 400 mg/kg dose, significantly reversed these alterations in a dose-dependent manner. The restorative effects of the extracts were comparable to, and in some cases superior to, those of Vitamin E, effectively normalizing the lipid profile parameters towards levels observed in the unexposed control group. Conclusion: The aqueous extracts of Emilia sonchifolia, Bridelia ferruginea, and Rhizophora racemosa demonstrated potent protective effects against petrol fume-induced dyslipidemia. This activity is likely mediated by their rich phytochemical constituents, which mitigate oxidative stress and restore lipid homeostasis. These findings suggest that these plants are promising candidates for developing natural therapies to counteract the adverse metabolic effects of hydrocarbon exposure.
Chukwuma Samuel Anakwe*1, Okunima Ambrose2, Joffa Price Paul Kwaku3, The Prophet Prohp4 (Tue,) studied this question.