EVALUATION OF HYPOLIPIDEMIC ACTIVITY OF SIDDHA FORMULATION VEPPAMPOO MAATHIRAI IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODEL

R. Prakathi*, A. Janarthanan, K. Preyadarsheni, G. Subash Chandran

Dyslipidemia, a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, remains a global health challenge despite the availability of lipid-lowering drugs such as statins and fibrates, which are often limited by adverse effects. The present study evaluated the safety and hypolipidemic efficacy of Veppampoo Maathirai (VPM), a traditional Siddha polyherbal formulation, in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic Wistar rats. Acute and sub-acute toxicity studies were conducted as per OECD guidelines, followed by assessment of lipid profiles in serum and liver after 27 days of treatment. Rats were divided into five groups: normal control, hyperlipidemic control, VPM low dose (200 mg/kg), VPM high dose (400 mg/kg), and atorvastatin (10 mg/kg) as standard. Acute toxicity results showed no mortality or behavioural changes up to 2000 mg/kg, indicating high safety. Sub-acute administration produced no significant alterations in hematological, biochemical, or histopathological parameters. VPM significantly reduced serum and hepatic total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL while elevating HDL in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01–0.001), comparable to atorvastatin. Histopathological analysis revealed normalization of hepatic architecture and attenuation of fatty changes in treated groups. These findings suggest that Veppampoo Maathirai possesses potent hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective properties, with efficacy similar to standard drugs but with a superior safety profile. The study validates its traditional Siddha use and supports further pharmacological and molecular investigations to elucidate its mechanism of action.