Combined extractives of red yeast rice, bitter gourd, chlorella, soy protein, and licorice improve total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of a plant-extractive compound on lipid profiles in subjects with metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that extractives from red yeast rice, bitter gourd, chlorella, soy protein, and licorice have synergistic benefits on cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. In this double-blinded study, adult subjects with metabolic syndrome were randomized to receive a plant-extractive compound or a placebo treatment for 12 weeks. Both total cholesterol (5.4 ± 0.8 to 4.4 ± 0.6 mmol/L, P < .001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.4 ± 0.7 to 2.7 ± 0.5 mmol/L, P < .001) were significantly reduced after treatment with the plant extractives, and the magnitudes of reduction were significantly greater than in the placebo group (-1.0 ± 0.6 vs 0.0 ± 0.6mmol/L, P < .001; -0.7 ± 0.6 vs 0.0 ± 0.6 mmol/L, P < .001). The reduction in the fasting triglycerides level was significantly greater in the plant-extractive group than in the placebo group (-0.5 ± 0.8 vs -0.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L, P = .039). There was also a significantly greater reduction in the proportion of subjects with hypertensive criteria in the plant-extractive group than in the placebo group (P = .040). In conclusion, the plant extractives from red yeast rice, bitter gourd, chlorella, soy protein, and licorice were effective in reducing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The plant extractives also showed potential for reducing triglyceride and normalizing blood pressure.

Effect of young barley leaf extract and adlay on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers.

Forty hyperlipidemic patients, smokers and non-smokers, were studied. Subjects received 15 g young barley leaf extract (BL) or 60 g adlay daily for four weeks. Overnight fasting blood samples were drawn immediately prior to and after four weeks of supplementation. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma lipid profiles and their susceptibility to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. The plasma total and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were reduced following treatment with either BL or adlay; furthermore, the lag phase of LDL oxidation increased after either supplementation. However, it seemed that BL had stronger antioxidative effect on the prevention of LDL oxidation than adlay. Our results also indicated that the antioxidative effect was less pronounced in smokers than in non-smokers. Therefore, supplementation with BL or adlay can decrease plasma lipids and inhibit LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers and/or non-smokers.