Biological investigation of Bael Fruit (Aegel Marmelos) Powder in the management of hypocholesteremia among human subjects

Abstract

Bael (Aegle marmelos) is a commonly used medicinal and nutraceutical plant. Its leaves, fruits, stem, and roots have traditionally been used for a variety of medical purposes, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antidiabetic, antiproliferative, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, antiasthmatic, and antiulcer qualities. In addition to conventional diet and medical interventions, identifying nutritious foods with potential functional benefits is critical to preventing metabolic problems. The purpose of current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bael Fruit powder in the management of hypercholesterolemia in human male subjects. For this purpose  the Bael fruit powder was firstly analyzed for the its chemical and phytochemical composition which showed that Bael Fruit powder contains  following proximate content  Moisture (1.84 ± 0.030)%, Dry matter (85.13 ± 0.06)%, Nitrogen (1.35 ± 0.02)%, Crude protein (2.21 ± 0.02)%, Crude Ash (1.52 ± 0.04)%, Crude fiber (8.21 ± 0.04)% and crude fat (2.16 ± 0.04)%.along with the appreciable amount of  minerals like magnesium (28.73 ± 0.4), calcium (200.9 ± 0.2), potassium (175.9 ± 1.01) respectively. Furthermore, to check its hypercholesremic effect the hypercholesterolemic human male subjects were divided into the experimental and control group in the basis of their inclusion and exclusion criteria. The experimental groups (G₁ and G₂) were given Bael fruit powder capsules of 2g/day/kg/bw to the G1 group and 4g/day/kg/bw to the G2 group for the period of 60 days. Significant reductions in lipid profiles were observed in both the experimental group and G2. Notably, the 4g/kg/bw dosage demonstrated greater reduction compared to the control group by the end of the trial. The study concluded Bael Fruit powder exhibits anti-hypercholesterolemic properties and holds promise as a therapeutic option for managing cardiovascular complications.