The fungal metabolite mevinolin, known to be a potent hypocholesterolemic agent, exerts in vitro a strong inhibitory effect on microsomal HMG-CoA reductase from etiolated radish seedlings at a concentration of about three magnitudes lower than the Km towards the natural substrate (S)-HMG-CoA (I50 = 2.5 x 10(-9)M). Beside this, mevinolin significantly inhibits the root elongation of radish as we...

The effect of diets containing the cells of a phototrophic bacteria (PTB). Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, on lipid metabolism was examined in the serum and liver of rats. Three groups of rats, 5 animals per group, were fed either a diet containing 0.2 or 2.0% PTB cells or a casein-based control diet. Each diet contained 1% cholesterol (CHOL). While serum glucose levels were not significantly diffe...

The recent increase in soymilk and tofu (coagulated soymilk) consumption, especially in Western countries, is due to the recognition of the health benefits of soy foods; consumption of soybean would prevent heart diseases. Since the amount and the type of coagulated biomolecules (such as isoflavones) will vary with the type of coagulant, this will inevitably alter their biological activity. Thi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the hypocholesterolemic effect of an enteric-coated garlic supplement standardized for allicin-releasing potential in mild to moderate hypercholesterolemic patients. METHODS A double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study was conducted in 46 hypercholesterolemic subjects who had failed or were not compliant with drug therapy. Each subject was given dieta...

Cholesterol fed mice were administered powdered myrobalan, the fruit of Terminalia chebula, to evaluate its antiatherogenic activity. Male mice were fed a diet containing 1% cholesterol with or without myrobalan for 100 days. The cholesterol containing diet fed to mice caused increased food intake, body weight, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, thickening of the walls of aorta and shrinkage in i...