Abstract:The optimal extraction conditions of exocarpium Citri grandis were determined using a single-factor test and an orthogonal test. The effects of water addition, extraction frequency, extraction time, and extraction temperature were investigated; the mass fractions of naringin and dry extract were used as evaluation indexes. Furthermore, a combined hyperlipidemia mouse model was established by feeding mice a high-fat diet to investigate the lipid level-lowering effects of exocarpium Citri grandis extract. The results showed that the optimal conditions for preparing the aqueous extract of exocarpium Citri grandis were as follows: solvent, water; solid-liquid ratio, 1:30; and extraction temperature, 70 ℃; the extraction was performed three times (60 minutes each time). Under these conditions, the naringin content in the aqueous extract of exocarpium Citri grandis was 56.15 mg/g. Traditional processes mainly use ethanol as the solvent; this process can provide a reference for aqueous extraction of Exocarpium Citri Grandis. The high-dose exocarpium Citri grandis group showed 47.11%, 36.84%, and 65.18% lower levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C, respectively, significantly lower liver index and Lee's index values, and 56.68% and 56.63% lower serum ALT and AST levels, respectively, than the model group. The high-dose group also showed milder liver cell swelling and degeneration and reduced lipid droplet deposition and fat vacuole formation. The results indicate that the exocarpium Citri grandis extract exerts lipid level-lowering effects on mice with combined hyperlipidemia.
