Abstract: Objective: To investigate the hypolipidemic effect of crude polysaccharides from Perna viridis (PCP) in hyperlipidemic mice and its mechanisms. Methods: Totally 72 Kunming male mice were arbitrarily divided into normal control group, hyperlipidemia model group, positive control group, PCP low-dose group, PCP medium-dose group, and PCP high-dose group. The normal control group was fed normal diet and other five groups were fed high-dat diet. The normal control group and model control group were administered with the same volume of normal saline and the positive control group with simvastatin tablet at the dosages of 5 mg/kg. The low, medium and high dose groups were administered with crude polysaccharides from Perna viridis at the dosages of 50, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. All the administrations were carried out once a day for 30 days.  The contents of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and NO, the contents of liver TC and TG, and the activities of serum lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) as well as lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) in the serum and liver were determined after the last administration. Results: Crude polysaccharides from Perna viridis could decrease the contents of serum TC, TG and LDL-C and AI, increase the contents of serum HDL-C and NO, reduce the contents of liver TC and TG, and enhance the activities of serum LCAT and the activities of HPL and HL in the serum and liver. Conclusion: Crude polysaccharide from Perna viridis can significantly decrease blood lipid and the mechanism may be related to the improved activities of LCAT and LPL and increased levels of HDL-C and NO.

Key words: crude polysaccharide from Perna viridis, mice, hyperlipidemia