Impact of Oak Stem Extract on Blood and Serum Lipid in Hyperlipidemic Rats with Histopathological Examination of Kidneys, Liver, and Spleen

Residents around Duhok City commonly use secondary growth from Oak stems (OS) as a natural remedy for managing lipid levels, yet no scientific studies have examined its safety or effectiveness. This research investigated how OS water extract (200mg/kg) affects glucose levels, lipid profiles, kidney and liver function, as well as tissue changes in both normal and high-cholesterol rats. Thirty-two adult male rats were divided equally into four groups of eight animals each. The control group received standard food, while the second group got OS extract alongside a regular diet. The third group ate high-cholesterol food without treatment, and the fourth group combined a high-cholesterol diet with OS extract treatment. Following the experimental period, researchers collected blood samples through cardiac puncture after anesthetizing the animals. Liver, kidney, and spleen tissues were preserved in formalin solution for microscopic examination. Results showed that fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels remained unchanged across all groups. However, triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) increased significantly (79.2±2.62, 84.0±1.98) in untreated high-cholesterol rats compared to control group (56.7±2.35, 56.9±2.09) respectively. Animals receiving OS extract showed significantly (P<0.05) reductions in TG (64.3±2.15) and TC (73.67±4.28) levels. Other measured parameters showed no significant differences between groups. The four-week study demonstrates that Oak stem extract effectively reduces total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats with elevated lipids. No adverse effects were observed during treatment, suggesting this traditional remedy may offer a safe approach for managing dyslipidemia. These findings support the folk medicine use of Oak stems water extract while providing scientific