Fatty Acids, Nonesterified

Hypercholesteremia is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. The present study highlights the efficacy of Ayurvedic herbal formulation Triphala (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, and Emblica officinalis) on total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), High density lipoprotein (HDL) and free fatty acid in experimentally induced hypercholesteremic rats.

One of the most robust observations in the biology of aging is that caloric restriction (CR) extends life in a variety of species. Although CR results in a severalfold decrease in fat mass (FM), the role of fat on life extension was considered to be minimal. Two main reasons accounted for this belief. First, although increased FM is associated with changes in substrate oxidation and in glucose homeostasis, in part through the effects of free fatty acids (FFA) and glycerol, several studies have suggested that longevity is determined independent of FM.

Aging diminishes hormone secretion and target cell responsiveness, possibly due to loss of cell membrane fluidity or alteration of membrane phospholipids affecting signal transduction. We investigated whether a high omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid diet would improve endocrine function in 6 men and 6 women aged over 60 years. Subjects first ate an isocaloric control diet for 6 weeks, followed by an 8-week experimental diet, which included 720 g of fatty fish weekly plus 15 ml of sardine oil daily.

Hypercholesteremia is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. The present study highlights the efficacy of Ayurvedic herbal formulation Triphala (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, and Emblica officinalis) on total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), High density lipoprotein (HDL) and free fatty acid in experimentally induced hypercholesteremic rats.

We undertook the present study to evaluate the hypolipidaemic effect of an aqueous extract of Tinospora cordifolia roots, an indigenous plant used in Ayurvedic medicine in India. Administration of the extract of T. cordifolia roots (2.5 and 5.0 g/kg body weight) for 6 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in serum and tissue cholesterol, phospholipids and free fatty acids in alloxan diabetic rats. The root extract at a dose of 5.0 g/kg body weight showed highest hypolipidaemic effect. The effect of T. cordifolia roots at 2.5 and 5.0 g/kg body weight was better than glibenclamide.

Tinospora cordifolia is widely used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for treating diabetes mellitus. Oral administration of an aqueous T. cordifolia root extract (TCREt) to alloxan diabetic rats caused a significant reduction in blood glucose and brain lipids. The extract caused an increase in body weight, total haemoglobin and hepatic hexokinase. The root extract also lowers hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase and serum acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase in diabetic rats. Thus TCREt has hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effect.

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of an alcohol extract of Tinospora cordifolia roots, an indigenous plant used in Ayurvedic medicine in India. Oral administration of the extract of Tinospora cordifolia (TCREt) roots for 6 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in blood and urine glucose and in lipids in serum and tissues in alloxan diabetic rats. The extract also prevented a decrease in body weight. Thus our study clearly shows that an alcohol TCREt has a hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic action.

Excess cardiac triglyceride accumulation in diabetes and obesity induces lipotoxicity, which predisposes the myocytes to death. On the other hand, increased cardiac fatty acid (FA) oxidation plays a role in the development of myocardial dysfunction in diabetes. PPAR-alpha plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis of lipid metabolism.