Abstract The hypolipidemic activity of hawthorn fruits belong to Crataegus aronica, a wild Jordanian plant in Jordan, was studied. Three groups of New Zealand white rabbits were given as follows: The first group was fed a reference diet with no cholesterol (DNC), the second group was fed diet with high cholesterol (1.5 g/100 g, DHC) and group 3 was fed high cholesterol diet and given hawthorn fruit extract (10% w/v) twice daily 10 mg/Kg for 6 weeks (DHCH). After 6 weeks, serum total cholesterol (TC), triacyglycerol (TG), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were decreased 22.9%, 20% and 21.4%, respectively in the hawthorn fed rabbits in comparison to the  DHC rabbits, while 12.5% elevation of high density lipoprotein (HDL) was obtained.  Hawthorn administration cause 25.7, 22.4 and 22.7% reduction of aortic cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and hepatic cholesterol, respectively. In addition, hawthorn fed-rabbits showed 76.6% inhibition of intestinal AcylCOA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity but no effect on 3-hydroxt 3-methyl glutaryl CO A reductase (HMGR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (C-hx). These results are comparable to other hawthorn species with respect to their hypolipidemic activities.

http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_22_3_05.pdf