Dried Fruit and Aspaghola: New Approaches in Treating Lipid Metabolism

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream attached to two different compounds called lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol because it transports cholesterol from the liver throughout the body, and potentially allows it to be deposited in artery walls. HDL, known as the “good cholesterol,” picks up cholesterol from the blood and delivers it to cells that use it, or takes it back to the liver to be recycled or eliminated from the body. The focus has shifted to the novel risk factors as well as characteristics and stability of atherosclerotic plaque; the genetic predisposition has further broadened the pathogenetic mechanisms. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of the atherosclerotic plaque that may pave the way for selecting optimal therapies and preventing plaque complications. Atherosclerosis is no longer a disease attributed mainly to the high lipid content of the body. New insight into the disease pathology has shown it to be a disease of much greater ramifications. Endothelial damage and reactive oxygen species (and other free radicals) have predominantly emerged as factors in virtually all pathways leading to the development of atherosclerosis due to hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension or smoking. Novel risk factors such as hyperhomocysteinemia, infections and systemic lupus erythematosus have emerged. Hypolipidemic herbs can normalize lipid profile of patients suffering from primary or secondary hyperlipidemia. Psyllium husk and Ficus Carica (Anjeer) are being used successfully for treatment of both types of Hyperlipidemia. This research study was single blind placebo-controlled, and was conducted at General Hospital Lahore-Pakistan from January to June 2018. One hundred hyperlipidemic patients were enrolled for the research work. Base line lipid profile was measured in Biochemistry Lab of the hospital. Patients were divided in four groups, 25 patients in each group. Group-I was on Figs, Group-II was on Psyllium, Group-III was on combination of these two herbal medicines. After three months therapy, their lipid profile was determined and mean values with ±SEM were compared before and after treatment. When analyzed statistically and compared with placebo effects, all patients’ LDL-cholesterol was reduced significantly. HDL-cholesterol was increased in all groups of patient. We concluded from this study that when used in good amount/dose, Psyllium husk and Figs reduce LDL-cholesterol and increase HDL-cholesterol significantly.