Shenzhen Municipal Institute for Drug Control, Shenzhen 518029, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Jan 6;139(1):214-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.11.001. Epub 2011 Nov 12.
Numerous efforts have been conducted in searching for effective agents against cardiovascular diseases, in particular from herbal medicines. The rhizome of Dioscorea nipponica (Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma) is a traditional Chinese herb being prescribed to improve the blood circulation. Here, we identified a steroidal saponin trillin from Dioscorea nipponica, which showed robust anti-hyperlipidemic effects.
Rats were induced for hyperlipidemia and subjected to the drug treatment. The anti-hyperlipidemic effects of trillin were evaluated by different biochemical assays.
In hyperlipidemic rat model, fed with high-fat diet, the blood levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were increased. The intra-peritoneal administration of trillin into those rats significantly improved the bleeding and blood coagulation time, and in parallel the treatment restored the levels of cholesterol, glyceride, LDL and HDL back to the normal condition. In addition, the administration of trillin in rats exerted beneficial effects in improving the levels of lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase activity.
This was the first time to reveal the anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-oxidative effects of trillin. These results would be important in developing food supplements for health improvements and therapeutic drugs against hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases in future.
人们已经做出了许多努力，从草药中寻找对抗心血管疾病的有效药物。穿山龙的根茎（穿山龙根茎）是一种传统的中药，用于改善血液循环。在这里，我们从穿山龙中鉴定出一种甾体皂苷三萜，它具有很强的抗高血脂作用。
用高脂饮食诱导大鼠发生高血脂症，并进行药物治疗。通过不同的生化测定来评价三萜的抗高血脂作用。
在高脂血症大鼠模型中，给予高脂肪饮食后，胆固醇、甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）和高密度脂蛋白（HDL）的血液水平升高。腹腔内给予三萜类化合物可显著改善出血和凝血时间，同时治疗可使胆固醇、甘油三酯、LDL 和 HDL 水平恢复正常。此外，三萜类化合物在改善脂质过氧化和超氧化物歧化酶活性方面也有有益作用。
这是首次揭示三萜的抗高血脂和抗氧化作用。这些结果对于开发保健品以改善健康和治疗高血脂和心血管疾病的药物具有重要意义。
