The anti-atherogenic properties of HDL particles

Liposomal Phytosterols as LDL-Cholesterol-Lowering Agents in Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia

The high blood level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Plant sterols, known as phytosterols (PSs), can reduce LDL-C in a range of 8-14%. The extent of LDL-C reduction depends on its formulation. Encapsulation into liposomes is one formulation strategy to enhance the efficiency of PSs. PSs (campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol) have frequently been assessed alone or in combination for their LDL-C-lowering ability. However, one naturally abundant PS, brassicasterol, has not yet been tested for its efficacy. We have previously developed a novel liposomal formulation containing the PS mixture present naturally in canola that is composed of brassicasterol, campesterol, and β-sitosterol. In this work, the efficacy of our novel liposomal PS formulation that includes brassicasterol was assessed in a hamster model. Animals were divided into five groups: (i) liposomal PS in orange juice, (ii) liposomal PS in water, (iii) marketed PS in orange juice, (iv) control orange juice, and (v) control water. The animals were fed a high-fat, cholesterol-supplemented (0.5%) diet to induce hypercholesterolemia. The treatment was administered orally once daily for 4 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, week 2, and week 4. The extent of the reduction of total cholesterol, LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides was compared among the groups. Liposomal PSs in both orange juice and water significantly reduced LDL-C compared to their controls. Furthermore, the liposomal PS was as effective as a marketed PS-containing product in reducing LDL-C. Liposomal PSs in both orange juice and water showed similar efficacy in LDL-C reduction, highlighting that these vehicles/food matrices do not affect the efficacy of PSs. The liposomal formulation of a natural PS mixture extracted from canola oil, with brassicasterol as a major component, exhibited a significant LDL-C reduction in a hamster model.

Oral Administration of Germinated, Pigmented, Giant Embryo Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Keunnunjami) Extract Improves the Lipid and Glucose Metabolisms in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

Obesity is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases. The effect of ethanol extract from germinated Keunnunjami, blackish-purple rice with a giant embryo, compare to ordinary brown rice, on the body weight and lipid and glucose metabolism in high-fat diet-fed mice was analyzed. Mice were fed with a high-fat diet-fed for 3 weeks and then orally administered with either distilled water (HF) or extract (0.25%, w/w) from brown, germinated brown, Keunnunjami, and germinated Keunnunjami rice for 4 weeks. Control mice were fed with a normal diet and orally administered with distilled water. The HF group showed markedly higher body weight and triglyceride, cholesterol, fatty acid, glucose, and insulin levels than the control group. However, the oral administration of rice extracts ameliorated this high-fat diet-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypoglycemia through the modulation of adipokine production, lipogenic and glucose-regulating enzyme activities, and mRNA expression of genes associated with lipid and glucose metabolism. The germinated Keunnunjami extract exhibited greater hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, and body weight-lowering effects than the other rice extracts. The results demonstrated that germination could further enhance the physiological properties of rice and that germinated Keunnunjami extract has a strong therapeutic potential against high-fat diet-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia.

Aged ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) reduces blood glucose levels and improves lipid metabolism in high fat diet-fed mice

Aged ginseng is unpeeled ginseng root that has been dried and heat-treated in an oven at 80°C for 14 days. The effects of aged ginseng, in comparison with white and red ginseng, on the lipid and glucose metabolism in high fat-fed mice were investigated. C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into six dietary groups of normal control, high fat, and high fat supplemented with white, red, aged four-year old, and aged five-year old ginseng. After 8 weeks, ginseng counteracted high fat dietinduced body weight gain, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia via a mechanism involving modulation of hepatic lipogenesis, adipokine production, and glucose-regulating enzyme activities. Aged ginseng showed greater antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities than white ginseng and exhibited physiological effects similar to red ginseng, perhaps due to a relatively high ginsenoside content. Aged ginseng can be beneficial as a functional food.

Partial-filling affinity capillary electrophoresis and quartz crystal microbalance with adsorption energy distribution calculations in the study of biomolecular interactions with apolipoprotein E as interaction partner

Adsorption energy distribution (AED) calculations were successfully applied to partial-filling affinity capillary electrophoresis (PF-ACE) to facilitate more detailed studies of biomolecular interactions. PF-ACE with AED calculations was employed to study the interactions between two isoforms of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and dermatan sulfate (DS), and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used in combination with AED calculations to examine the interactions of the 15-amino-acid peptide fragment of apoE with DS. The heterogeneity of the interactions was elucidated. Microscale thermophoresis was used to validate the results. The interactions studied are of interest because, in vivo, apolipoprotein E localizes on DS-containing regions in the extracellular matrix of human vascular subendothelium. Two-site binding was demonstrated for the isoform apoE3 and DS, but only one-site binding for apoE2-DS. Comparable affinity constants were obtained for the apoE2-DS, apoE3-D3, and 15-amino-acid peptide of apoE-DS using the three techniques. The results show that combining AED calculations with modern biosensing techniques can open up another dimension in studies on the heterogeneity and affinity constants of biological molecules.