Consumption of Cuban Policosanol Improves Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile via Enhancement of HDL Functionality in Healthy Women Subjects: Randomized, Double-Blinded, and Placebo-Controlled Study

Kyung-Hyun Cho,Jae-Yong Kim,Suk-Jeong Kim,Dhananjay Yadav,Jae-Ryong Kim

doi:10.1155/2018/4809525

Abstract

Policosanol has been reported to improve blood pressure, lipid profile, and HDL functionality via inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) both in vitro and in vivo in zebrafish and human models. However, there are limited reports and randomized, double-blinded trials on policosanol that could advocate the blood pressure-lowering effect in prehypertensive participants. Therefore, we performed in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo experiments to provide more substantial and concrete data on the blood pressure-lowering effect of policosanol. Consumption of policosanol for 8 weeks enhanced plasma antioxidant activity. In the policosanol group, plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were reduced up to 20% and 14%, respectively, and HDL-C level was elevated up to 1.3-fold compared to that at week 0. TG/HDL-C and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activities were reduced up to 36% and 20%, respectively. Uptake of oxidized LDL in macrophages was reduced as oxidized species levels were reduced, and HDL2-associated paraoxonase activities were enhanced by 60% compared to those at week 0. Encapsulation of policosanol into reconstituted HDL (PCO-rHDL) enhanced cholesterol efflux activity and insulin secretion capacity. In conclusion, consumption of policosanol for 8 weeks in healthy female subjects resulted in lowered blood pressure and CETP activity via elevation of HDL/apoA-I contents and enhancement of HDL functionalities, including cholesterol efflux and insulin secretion. These functional enhancements of HDL can contribute to the prevention of aging-related diseases, hypertension, and stroke.

Highlights

It is well known that elevation of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels is an effective strategy for suppressing the incidence of aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease [1]
A policosanol mixture was assimilated into reconstituted HDL with apoA-I in order to investigate the physiological functions of policosanol in lipoprotein metabolism [7]
We recently reported that daily consumption of policosanol by young smoker (YS, n = 7) and middle-aged male participants (MN, n = 11) for 8 weeks resulted in a lowering of systolic blood pressure up to 4%

Summary

Introduction

It is well known that elevation of serum HDL-C levels is an effective strategy for suppressing the incidence of aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease [1]. Cuban policosanol (PCO) was reported to elevate HDL-C levels in hypercholesterolemic. Policosanol enhances the beneficial functions of HDL and maximizes its antioxidant, antiglycation, and antiatherosclerotic activities along with inhibition of CETP activity [7,8,9]. These results suggest an association between policosanol activity and HDL functionality for enhancement of longevity. Reconstituted HDL (rHDL) containing policosanol (PCO-rHDL) was shown to induce upregulation of tissue regeneration activity in a zebrafish model [7] along with a lipid-lowering effect [8]. Policosanol in rHDL has potent antioxidant, antiglycation, and CETP inhibitory activities as well as tissue regeneration activity, especially upon integration into HDL. Kaup et al previously reported that Egyptian rice bran extract, which is enriched with policosanol and γ-oryzanol, has an antidiabetic effect in rats [10]

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion