Treatment of hypercholesterolaemia with oral lecithin

Effect of soy lecithin on fatigue and menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND

Lecithin is a complex mixture of phospholipids which compose lipid bilayer cell membranes. Lipid replacement therapy, or administration of phospholipids for the purpose of repairing the dmaged cell membranes, had been shown to alleviate fatigue. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of soy lecithin on fatigue in middle-aged women, as well as other menopausal symptoms and various health parameters.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 96 women aged 40 to 60 years who complained of fatigue. The participants were randomized to receive active tablets containing high-dose (1200 mg/day; n = 32) or low-dose (600 mg/day; n = 32) soy lecithin, or placebo (n = 32), for 8 weeks. The following parameters were evaluated: age, menopausal status, lifestyle factors, physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, subjective symptoms of insomnia and fatigue, body composition, cardiovascular parameters, and physical activities and objective sleep states obtained from actigraphy before and 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. Fatigue was evaluated using the Profile of Mood States (POMS)-brief, Menopausal Health-Related Quality of Life questionnaire, Chalder Fatigue Scale, and Brief Fatigue Inventory.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine women completed the study. There were no significant differences in the changes in Chalder Fatigue Scale score (placebo vs low-dose vs high-dose groups: -2.9 ± 1.1, -3.2 ± 1.1, and -3.5 ± 1.0; P = 0.79). On the other hand, the improvements were greater in the high-dose group compared with the placebo group concerning vigor scores in the POMS-brief (1.9 ± 0.7 vs 0.2 ± 0.6; P = 0.02), diastolic blood pressure (-4.1 ± 1.8 vs 1.2 ± 1.9; P = 0.05), and cardio-ankle vascular index (-0.4 ± 0.2 vs 0.07 ± 0.1; P = 0.03) after 8 weeks of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose (1200 mg/day) soy lecithin not only increases vigor, but also lowers the diastolic blood pressure and cardio-ankle vascular index in middle-aged women who present with fatigue.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

UMIN-CTR UMIN000017127 .

Improving effect of dietary soybean phospholipids supplement on hepatic and serum indexes relevant to fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

In order to investigate the effect of dietary soybean phospholipid supplement on hepatic and serum indexes relevant to fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in layers, 135 300-day-old Hyline Brown layers were randomly divided into three groups (control, pathology and prevention), and each group had 45 layers with three replicates. Birds in the three groups were respectively fed the control diet, high-energy low-protein diet and high-energy high-protein diet affixed with 3% soybean phospholipid instead of maize. Results showed in the 30th day, birds' livers in the pathology group became yellowish, enlarged in size and had hemorrhagic spots, while the prevention and control groups' layers did not have such pathological changes. Contents of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein - cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acid and malondialdehyde in serum or liver homogenate in prevention and control groups were remarkably lower than those in the pathology group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), as with the activities of glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (P < 0.01); high-density lipoprotein - cholesterol value was strikingly higher than that of the pathology group (P < 0.01). It is suggested dietary soybean phospholipids supplement may effectively improve hepatic and blood indexes relevant to FLHS, which provides a new point for preventing FLHS occurrence rate in laying flocks and treating human non-alcohol fatty liver disease.

Lipidomic investigation of eggs' yolk: Changes in lipid profile of eggs from different conditions

Eggs are one of the main foods eaten worldwide. Nutritionally they are one of the main sources of dietary lipids, impacting human health. Egg yolk lipid composition changes depending on different conditions associated with hens raising. Therefore, the purpose of our work was to use a lipidomic approach as a tool to evaluate if different diets (vegetable versus animal) and raising environments (free range versus indoor) interfere in the triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid (PL) profiles of eggs' yolks and to use such differences to differentiate eggs according to their origin. To achieve that goal, total lipid extracts were obtained and then fractionated by solid-phase chromatography. TAGs fraction was analysed by ESI-MS and PLs fraction by HILIC-LC-MS/MS. TAG and five PL classes were identified, namely PC, LPC, PE, LPE and SM. Fatty acids (FA) esterified to the glycerol backbone of PL ranged between C16:0 and C22:6. On the other hand, FA esterified to TAG ranged from C14:0 to C20:0. Major differences on the PL profile were observed regarding eggs from free-range hens and fed with vegetable origin food and eggs from the remaining conditions, once the former presented higher levels of PC (O-34:0), PC (34:1) and PE (34:1). Eggs from hens fed with animal origin food contained PL and TAG molecular species richer in n-6 FA, according to GC-MS and to LC-MS/MS data. The lipidomic approach used herein proved to be promising in differentiating eggs from hens with different raising conditions.

Health effects of dietary phospholipids

Beneficial effects of dietary phospholipids (PLs) have been mentioned since the early 1900's in relation to different illnesses and symptoms, e.g. coronary heart disease, inflammation or cancer. This article gives a summary of the most common therapeutic uses of dietary PLs to provide an overview of their approved and proposed benefits; and to identify further investigational needs.From the majority of the studies it became evident that dietary PLs have a positive impact in several diseases, apparently without severe side effects. Furthermore, they were shown to reduce side effects of some drugs. Both effects can partially be explained by the fact that PL are highly effective in delivering their fatty acid (FA) residues for incorporation into the membranes of cells involved in different diseases, e.g. immune or cancer cells. The altered membrane composition is assumed to have effects on the activity of membrane proteins (e.g. receptors) by affecting the microstructure of membranes and, therefore, the characteristics of the cellular membrane, e.g. of lipid rafts, or by influencing the biosynthesis of FA derived lipid second messengers. However, since the FAs originally bound to the applied PLs are increased in the cellular membrane after their consumption or supplementation, the FA composition of the PL and thus the type of PL is crucial for its effect. Here, we have reviewed the effects of PL from soy, egg yolk, milk and marine sources. Most studies have been performed in vitro or in animals and only limited evidence is available for the benefit of PL supplementation in humans. More research is needed to understand the impact of PL supplementation and confirm its health benefits.

What should medical practitioners know about the role of alternative medicines in cardiovascular disease management?

Alternative medications as a term call up many different meanings, significance, and perceptions to various medical practitioners. Some are good; others are bad. A wide range of alternative medications with relevance or connection to cardiovascular (CV) disease have been considered. While many are worthless, others have definite benefit, and at least one, chelation therapy, is associated with definite harm, significant risk, no benefit, and enrichment of the practitioners who prescribe it. The issues concerning alternative therapies will likely never be studied with randomized clinical trials due to the lack of a profit motive on the part of pharmaceutical companies--only rarely do other institutions, such as the National Institutes of Health, support medicinal studies. Basic knowledge of alternative therapies is essential for the CV specialist and other practicing physicians and other practitioners, since at least a few of their patients will take these medications regardless of medical advice. The result is that a number of these alternative medications will then interact with conventional CV medications, many times unfavorably.

Effects of the nature of dietary proteins, lecithin and methionine on rat plasma lipids

In order to study the complex interrelationships between on the one hand, dietary proteins, lecithin and methionine and, on the other, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, groups of .10 rats were fed for six weeks with diets only differing by the nature of proteins which comprised 10% of the diet. These diets were composed of egg white, heated soybean flour, casein, heated soybean flour supplemented with 1% methionine, or with 4% of the lipids replaced by soybean lecithin, heated 5-day germinated soybean supplemented or not with 1% methionine and casein with 4% of the lipids replaced by lecithin. Egg white caused no change in blood cholesterol compared to heated soybean meal (0.955 +/- 0.18 vs 0.83 +/- 0.14), but caused a significant increase in blood cholesterol levels compared to casein (0.955 +/- 0.18 vs 0.81 +/- 0.11 g/l). No effect was found on blood triglycerides levels. Lecithin caused no change when it partially replaced lipids in the soybean or casein diets thought it increased triglycerides with the casein diet (1.16 +/- 0.31 vs 0.84 +/- 0.24 g/l). Supplementation of the heated soybean diet with 1% methionine led to an increase in blood triglycerides (0.85 +/- 0.26 vs 1.18 +/- 0.34 g/l). After germination, this effect disappeared. The effects of the type of protein, partial replacement of dietary lipids by lecithin and supplementation with methionine are discussed.

The effects of oral soybean phospholipid on serum total cholesterol, plasma triglyceride, and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in hyperlipidemia

In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial soybean phospholipid and placebo, 18 g daily for 6 wk, were given orally to 20 patients on long-term treatment with standard lipid lowering diets. The effect of this treatment on serum total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and plasma triglyceride was studied. After 6 wk mean (+/- SE) cholesterol concentration was decreased by 0.54 (+/- 0.19) mmol/liter in phospholipid-treated as compared to placebo-treated patients (p less than 0.02). The decrease in serum cholesterol was significant (p less than 0.02) only in patients assigned to receive phospholipid before placebo. A highly significant increase (p less than 0.001) followed the withdrawal of phospholipid. No effect on triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations was demonstrated.