Martinello F, Soares S M, Franco J J, Santos A C, Sugohara A, Garcia S B, Curti C, Uyemura S A
Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Jun;44(6):810-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2005.10.011. Epub 2005 Dec 5.
Dietary modifications may significantly reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The present study addressed the effects of the crude extract from the pulp fruit of Tamarindus indica L. on lipid serum levels and early atherosclerotic lesions in hypercholesterolemic hamsters in vivo, and the extract's antioxidant action, in vitro. Animals were fed on either chow or atherogenic diet during 10 weeks and concomitantly received either water or T. indica L. extract for drinking. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic hamsters with the T. indica pulp fruit extract (5%) led to a decrease in the levels of serum total cholesterol (50%), non-HDL cholesterol (73%) and triglyceride (60%), and to an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (61%). In vitro, the extract presented radical scavenging ability, as assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radicals assays, and led to decreased lipid peroxidation in serum, as assessed by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. In vivo, the extract improved the efficiency of the antioxidant defense system, as assessed by the superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Together these results indicate the potential of tamarind extracts in diminishing the risk of atherosclerosis development in humans.
饮食调整可显著降低心血管疾病（CVD）风险因素，包括胆固醇和动脉粥样硬化。本研究探讨了罗望子果肉粗提物对高胆固醇血症仓鼠体内血脂水平和早期动脉粥样硬化病变的影响，以及该提取物在体外的抗氧化作用。动物在10周内分别喂食普通饲料或致动脉粥样化饲料，并同时饮用清水或罗望子提取物。用罗望子果肉提取物（5%）治疗高胆固醇血症仓鼠，可使血清总胆固醇水平降低50%、非高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平降低73%、甘油三酯水平降低60%，并使高密度脂蛋白（HDL）胆固醇水平升高61%。在体外，通过2,2-二苯基-1-苦基肼（DPPH）和超氧阴离子自由基检测评估，该提取物具有自由基清除能力，并且通过硫代巴比妥酸反应性物质（TBARS）检测评估，可使血清中的脂质过氧化作用降低。在体内，通过超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性评估，该提取物提高了抗氧化防御系统的效率。这些结果共同表明罗望子提取物在降低人类动脉粥样硬化发生风险方面具有潜力。
