Adorni MP, et al. - Experts probed into the effect of an innovative nutraceutical (NUT) combination containing red yeast rice (monacolin K 3.3 mg), berberine 531.25 mg and leaf extract of Morus alba 200 mg (LopiGLIK), on high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), serum cholesterol loading capacity (CLC) and on circulating proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) levels. An improvement was revealed in the serum lipoprotein functional profile due to this NUT combination. Hence, complementary beneficial effects were obtained, without any detrimental increase in the PCSK9 plasma levels.

Methods

• During this trial, 23 dyslipidemic subjects were treated for 4 weeks with this NUT combination.
• An estimation was carried out of the HDL-CEC through specific cell-based radioisotopic assays.
• Additionally, serum CLC and PCSK9 concentrations were computed fluorimetrically and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Results

• A substantial reduction was achieved in the plasma level of the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-9.8% and -12.6%, respectively) as a result of the NUT combination.
• Regardless of the absence of changes in HDL-cholesterol, the NUT combination led to an improvement of the total HDL-CEC in 83% of the patients, by an average of 16%, as a consequence of the increase mainly of the ATP-binding cassette A1-mediated CEC (+28.5%).
• The results illustrated a marked reduction in the serum CLC (-11.4%) due to the NUT combination.
• On the other hand, it did not change PCSK9 plasma levels (312.9±69.4 ng/mL vs 334.8±103.5 mg/L, before and after treatment, respectively).