Hypolipidemic influence of dietary fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds and garlic (Allium sativum) in experimental myocardial infarction.

The cardioprotective influence of dietary fibre-rich fenugreek seeds and the well-established hypolipi�demic spice garlic was evaluated both individually and in combination in isoproterenol induced myo�cardial infarcted rats. It was particularly examined whether pretreatment with dietary fenugreek, garlic or
fenugreek + garlic would be beneficial under hypercholesterolemic conditions by their influence on the
tissue lipid profile. Four groups each of male Wistar rats were maintained on either a basal diet or a high
cholesterol diet for 8 weeks. Dietary interventions with fenugreek, garlic and the combination of fenu�greek and garlic were made by including 10% fenugreek seed powder, 2% freeze-dried garlic powder, and
10% fenugreek seed powder + 2% garlic powder. At the end of the diet regimen, myocardial infarction
was induced with isoproterenol (i.p. 80 mg kg−1
) twice at intervals of 12 h. The disturbed activities of
cardiac marker enzymes in serum and the heart confirmed isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction.
Dietary fenugreek, garlic or fenugreek + garlic was found to ameliorate the pathological changes in heart
tissue and lipid abnormalities in serum and the heart, the beneficial effect being higher with the combi�nation of fenugreek and garlic, invariably amounting to an additive effect. The results also indicated that
the hypercholesterolemic situation aggravated the myocardial damage during isoproterenol-induced
myocardial infarction. This dietary intervention study suggested that the combination of fenugreek seeds
and garlic offers a higher beneficial influence in exerting the cardioprotective effect.