Cardio-metabolic effects of sesame-based functional diet on lipopolysaccharide-induced preeclampsia in wistar rats.

Preeclampsia (PE) also known as pregnancy-induced hypertension is a significant cause of maternal and fetal death (2-8% of pregnancies globally). Preeclampsia is linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity, dyslipidemia, and abnormal amounts of cardio-enzymes. Sesame (Sesamum indicum) seed contains beneficial phyto-compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and minerals. This study investigated the effects of sesame-based diet (SBD) on cardio-metabolic parameters such as blood pressure, proteinuria, weight, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), creatine kinase (CK), serum lipid profile (HDL, LDL, Trig, TC), kidney function indices (urea, creatinine, uric acid), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) concentration associated with lipopolysaccharide-induced preeclampsia in rats. The formulated diet was composed of sesame flour, maize flour, defatted soya bean, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, cloves, and garlic in the ratio of 0.35:0.29:0.25:0.05:0.1:0.006:0.002:0.002 respectively in 1 kg of the formulation. Thirty-five female Wistar rats (182.45±3.11g) were assigned into 7 groups (A-G) of 5 animals. PE was induced intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (20 µ/kg b.wt.) in pregnant (gestation day (GD) 8) rats, except groups A and F. Before and after PE induction, groups D and E were maintained on basal diets while groups A, B, C, F, and G were fed standard diet. Group C was administered the reference drug Amlodipine (5 mg/kg). The rats were sacrificed on GD 18. The result shows that rats fed SBD had significant reduction (P<0.05) in blood pressure measurement, proteinuria levels, FBS, and elevated body weight compared to the control rats. The serum ACE activity of sesame-fed rats compared favorably with control, while CK activity, creatinine levels, Trig and LDL-C concentrations were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and HDL-C, urea and uric acid levels significantly increased (P<0.05) in sesame-fed PE rats compared to the control. Therefore, SBD may be beneficial for the management of cardiometabolic dysfunctions associated with preeclampsia subject to further experimental validation.