Hindawi Publishing Corporation Te Scientifc World Journal Volume 2013, Article ID 365892, 5 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/365892 Research Article Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Sesamum indicum L. in Rabbits Fed a High-Fat Diet Sedigheh Asgary, 1 Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei, 2 Somayeh Najafi, 3 Esfandiar Heidarian, 4 and Amirhossein Sahebkar 5 1 Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 2 Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran 3 Physiology Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 4 Clinical Biochemistry Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran 5 Biotechnology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Correspondence should be addressed to Somayeh Najaf; s.najaf.bio@gmail.com Received 13 May 2013; Accepted 24 July 2013 Academic Editors: C. Carbucicchio and A. N. Makaryus Copyright © 2013 Sedigheh Asgary et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Te present study aimed to investigate the anti-hyperlipidemic efects of sesame in a high-fat fed rabbit model. Animals were randomly divided into four groups of eight animals each for 60 days as follows: normal diet, hypercholesterolemic diet (1% cholesterol), hypercholesterolemic diet (1% cholesterol) + sesame seed (10%), and hypercholesterolemic diet (1% cholesterol) + sesame oil (5%). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, apoA and apoB, SGOT, SGPT, glucose and insulin were measured at the end of supplementation period in all studied groups. Hypercholesterolemic feeding resulted in a signifcant elevation of TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, SGOT and SGPT as compared to the normocholesterolemic diet group ( < 0.05). Supplementation with sesame seed did not cause any signifcant alteration in lipid profle parameters, apolipoproteins, hepatic transaminases, glucose and insulin as compared to the hypercholesterolemic diet group ( > 0.05). In contrast, rabbits supplemented with sesame oil were found to have lower circulating concentrations of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, SGOT and SGPT ( < 0.05), whilst concentrations of TG, apoA, apoB, insulin and glucose remained unaltered compared to the hypercholesterolemic diet group ( > 0.05). Supplementation with sesame oil, but not sesame seed, can ameliorate serum levels of lipids and hepatic enzymes in rabbits under a high-fat diet. 1. Introduction Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in the US and other western countries [1]. Te primary cause of these vas- cular diseases is atherosclerosis and subsequent formation of lesions inside the coronary and cerebral arteries [2]. Athero- genic plaques are formed as a result of accumulation of lipids and fbrous elements in the subendothelial space of large arteries. Pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is multifactorial, and many modifable and nonmodifable risk factors have been identifed [3]. Tese risk factors collectively contribute to the development, progression, and rupture of atherosclerotic plaque [4]. Recent decades have seen a rapid rise in reports indicating that botanical dietary supplements can improve cardiovas- cular health and prevent from atherosclerosis disease at several steps [5]. Current research into free radicals has confrmed that foods rich in antioxidants play an essential role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer [6–8]. Terefore, plant derived antioxidants are now receiving special attention [9, 10]. Sesamum indicum Linn. (sesame) belongs to the family Pedaliaceae and has been routinely used for culinary purposes in the oriental cuisine. In addition,