Lin Ming-Cheng, Kao Shao-Hsuan, Chung Pei-Jun, Chan Kuei-Chuan, Yang Mon-Yuan, Wang Chau-Jong
Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 8;57(13):5925-32. doi: 10.1021/jf901058a.
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn is widespread and a popular food in central and southern Taiwan. It has also been reported to possess different therapeutic effects, but the effects of N. nucifera leaf on lipid metabolism and liver function remain unclear. In this study, a high fat diet was used to induce hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and fatty liver in hamster. The effects of flavonoid-enriched N. nucifera leaf extract supplement and two lipid-lowing drugs, silymarin and simvastatin, on the disorders induced by high fat diet were investigated. The results showed that a 10-week application of a high fat diet to hamsters led to significant increases of body weight, plasma lipid derivatives (triglyceride, total cholesterol, and lipoproteins), lipid peroxidation, and liver damage markers (plasma aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase). Interestingly, flavonoid-enriched N. nucifera leaf extract supplement effectively ameliorated the high fat diet-induced lipid metabolic disorders as significantly as silymarin and simvastatin did. Moreover, the flavonoid-enriched supplement alleviated the high fat diet-induced accumulation of lipids in liver, the findings showing distinguishing mechanisms from the effects of silymarin and simvastatin. These results suggested that the flavonoid-enriched N. nucifera leaf extract supplement may significantly improve the high fat diet-induced abnormal blood lipids and liver damage as significantly as the common drugs. Consequently, it is suggested that the flavonoid-enriched N. nucifera leaf extract supplement is beneficial for the improvement of lipid metabolisms and the alleviation of liver damage in high fat diet treatment.
莲（Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn）在台湾中部和南部广泛分布且是一种受欢迎的食物。据报道它还具有不同的治疗作用，但莲叶对脂质代谢和肝功能的影响仍不清楚。在本研究中，采用高脂饮食诱导仓鼠出现高脂血症、高胆固醇血症和脂肪肝。研究了富含黄酮类化合物的莲叶提取物补充剂以及两种降脂药物水飞蓟宾和辛伐他汀对高脂饮食诱导的紊乱的影响。结果表明，对仓鼠应用10周高脂饮食导致体重、血浆脂质衍生物（甘油三酯、总胆固醇和脂蛋白）、脂质过氧化以及肝损伤标志物（血浆天冬氨酸转氨酶和丙氨酸转氨酶）显著增加。有趣的是，富含黄酮类化合物的莲叶提取物补充剂能有效改善高脂饮食诱导的脂质代谢紊乱，效果与水飞蓟宾和辛伐他汀相当。此外，富含黄酮类化合物的补充剂减轻了高脂饮食诱导的肝脏脂质积累，研究结果显示其作用机制与水飞蓟宾和辛伐他汀不同。这些结果表明，富含黄酮类化合物的莲叶提取物补充剂可能与常用药物一样显著改善高脂饮食诱导的血脂异常和肝损伤。因此，提示富含黄酮类化合物的莲叶提取物补充剂有利于改善高脂饮食治疗中的脂质代谢并减轻肝损伤。
