Antihyperlipidemic effect of Pistacia khinjuk

Efficacy of a standardized herbal product from Pistacia atlantica subsp. Kurdica in type 2 diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Hyperlipidemia is one of the consequences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that puts the patients at the risk of getting cardiovascular disease. Pistacia atlantica subsp. Kurdica is used by local people for the improvement of lipid and glucose indices. This study was carried out to evaluate clinical effects of P. atlantica subsp. Kurdica on hyperlipidemia related to T2DM patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this randomized, triple-blind, and placebo-controlled study, type 2 diabetes patients with hyperlipidemia were randomly allocated to receive either P. atlantica kurdica or placebo capsule for 2 months. 58 Patients were followed up at the beginning and after the end of each month for assessment of lipid profiles, glucose indices, and liver and renal function tests. The herbal capsule was standardized according to volatile and nonvolatile compounds by GC-MS/FID and RP-HPLC-PDA, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined with a spectrophotometer.

RESULTS

After 1 and 2 months of the intervention period, mean differences of 2HPP, total cholesterol, and LDL-c have been reduced significantly (P < 0.05) between the two groups, but there were not reported any significant statistical changes in FBS, HbA1c, TG, HDL-c, ALT, AST, and Cr. The herbal capsule was standardized according to benzoic acid, ballic acid, rutin, and quercetin standard (6.5, 2.1, 1.4, 0.7 mg, respectively), and also α-pinene as major volatile constituent 28.51%.

CONCLUSION

According to results the P. atlantica kurdica is effective in the improvement of lipid profile and glucose indices in line with its local application.

CLINICAL TRIAL ID

(IRCT201708109014N178).

Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Averrhoa Carambola Extract in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

The present study explored the antihyperlipidemic potential of a standardized methanolic extract of Averrhoa carambola (A. carambola) leaf (MEACL) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed rats. The standardized MEACL was orally administered at different doses (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg) to HFD-induced hyperlipidemic rats for five weeks. Serum lipid profile, body weight changes, body mass index (BMI), daily food intake, relative organ weight, and histology of the liver were evaluated. In addition, the effect of MEACL on HMG-CoA reductase and pancreatic lipase activities as well as hepatic and fecal lipids was demonstrated. MEACL supplementation reduced serum lipids in HFD-fed rats in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological scores revealed that 1000 mg/kg MEACL restored the damage to liver tissue in hyperlipidemic rats. MEACL decreased the body mass index (BMI), atherogenic index, and hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides and increased fecal cholesterol and bile acids in HFD-fed rats. Also, MEACL ameliorated lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant defenses in the liver of HFD-fed rats. Furthermore, HMG-CoA reductase and lipase were suppressed by MEACL. In conclusion, this study shows the potential effect of MEACL to ameliorate hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in HFD-fed rats. It prevented hepatic lipid accumulation and exerted an inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase and lipase.

Pistacia Atlantica Desf., a Source of Healthy Vegetable Oil

Pistacia atlantica, which belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, is an important species for rural people in arid and semi-arid areas. The fruit, rich in oil, is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The oil extracted from this species growing in a northern area of Algeria and its fatty acid composition were previously studied. However, the largest areas where this species is present (traditional cultivation) is located in southern Algeria. Moreover, studies on oil fatty acid composition and essential oil were always conducted separately. This study was performed in order to assess the fatty acid and volatile organic compound composition of P. atlantica vegetable oil. The seeds were collected randomly from Djelfa (300 km South of Algiers, Algeria). Oil content and fatty acid composition were determined by Soxhlet extraction. The seeds contained high concentrations of oil (32–67%). The major fatty acids were oleic (39–49%), linoleic (23.6–31%), and palmitic (21.3–26.6%) acids. The ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) indicated that the content of unsaturated fatty acids was approximately three times higher than that of SFA. This ratio is widely used in epidemiological studies and research on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The ratios of -acids, i.e., -9/-6 and -6/-3, were 1.3–2 and 18.5–38.3, respectively. Crushed seeds were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. More than 40 compounds were identified, mainly monoterpenes (C10H16), such as α-terpinene and terpinolene, but also sesquiterpenes (C15H24) at lower levels. The value of this species as a source of healthy oil rich in -3 acid and its effects on cardiovascular disease risk are discussed.

Chemical composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic evaluation of the essential oil from pistachio (Pistacia khinjuk) hull

Chemical composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of (Pistacia khinjuk) hull essential oil (EO) were evaluated in this study. The EO was isolated and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using 6 strains of Gram-positive and negative bacteria. DPPH radical scavenging (DPPH) and β-Caroten Bleaching (BCB) assays were used to measure antioxidant activity of the EO. In vitro cytotoxic activity was measured using MTT assay. Fifty-six compounds representing 99.5% of the total oil composition were identified. In the antibacterial results, Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most susceptible strain (MIC and MBC = 16 μg/ml). Antioxidant IC₅₀ values were respectively 19.03 ± 0.001 and 49.22 ± 0.005 μg/mL. The IC₅₀ indexes of cytotoxic tests were 29.6, 37.3 and 41.1 μg/mL for MCF-7, PC3 and DU-145 cell lines, respectively.