Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of the Mixture of Ginseng Radix and Crataegi Fructus: Experimental Study and Preliminary Clinical Results

Abstract

The mixture of Ginseng Radix and Crataegi Fructus (Gen-CF) was developed to increase the pharmacological effect of ginseng in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and prevention of cardiovascular disease. This study evaluated the effects of Gen-CF on serum lipids of hypercholesterolemic rats in vivo, as well as its antioxidant activities in vitro, and explored its clinical effects on patients with hypercholesterolemia. In vitro, Gen-CF displayed 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrasyl and superoxide radical scavenging activities, and inhibited hemolysis induced by 2,2′-azobis-2-amidinopropane dihydrochloride in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo, Gen-CF significantly inhibited the increases of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride in high cholesterol-diet and Triton WR-1339 models. It also significantly inhibited the decrease of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in these models. In the clinical trial, Gen-CF significantly lowered total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, total lipid and phospholipid, with no adverse events, including hepatic or renal toxicity. The data suggest that Gen-CF has the potential to treat hypercholesterolemia and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Quality and characteristics of ginseng seed oil treated using different extraction methods

“…Ginseng contains saponins, polyphenols, polyacetylenes, alkaloids, and polysaccharides [1] and has recently been used by adding the leaf, stem, and berry extracts to cosmetics and soaps, and by adding the plant to feed [2]. Ginsenoside, which is a representative active ingredient in ginseng, has various functions including anticancer [3], immune improvement [4], blood pressure-lowering [5], antidiabetic [6], hyperlipidemia preventive [7], and antioxidant effects [8]. Ginseng root has been studied for decades, and high-quality Korean ginseng products have been used as functional foods or pharmaceuticals due to their efficacy.…”

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“…Vitamin E is the main chainbreaking lipid-soluble vitamin in plasma and LDL [45]. Vitamin E can potentially reduce the progression of atherosclerosis by reducing adhesion molecule expression [46] and by enhancing NO bioavailability [47]. Vitamin C has also been shown to enhance NO synthesis in endothelial cells and it has been shown to have sustained beneficial effects on endothelial-derived NOdependent in vivo [48].…”

One-pot β-cyclodextrin-assisted extraction of active ingredients from Xue–Zhi–Ning basing its encapsulated ability

“…It is composed of four food homology Chinese herbs, Semen Cassiae, Radix Polygoni Multiflori Preparata, Folium Nelumbinis and Fructus Crataegi, at a ratio of 3:2:1.5:1. The combination of multiple herbs in XZN has been clinically applied in the treatment of hyperlipidemia (Chen et al, 2011;Du et al, 2010;Ko et al, 2011;Wang, Zhao, Wang, Mao, & Yu, 2012;Xie, Zhao, & Du, 2012). Naturally occurring cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides containing six, seven, or eight d-(+)-glucopyranose units (␣-, ␤-, and ␥-cyclodextrin) connected by ␣-1,4 glycosidic bonds (Harada, 1997;Liu, Han, Qi, & Chen, 1997;Tafazzoli & Ghiasi, 2009).…”