Skip to main content
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Pillser
Search
Sign UpLog In

Cholesterol lowering and inhibition of sterol absorption by Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242: a randomized controlled trial

  • 2012-09-19
  • European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66(11)
    • M. L. Jones
    • C. Martoni
    • S. Prakash

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size
n = 127
Population
Hypercholesterolemic adults
Methods
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
  • Highly Cited
  • Rigorous Journal

Abstract

Background/objectives: The percentage of hypercholesterolemic individuals not reaching their LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) goal remains high and additional therapeutic strategies should be evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering efficacy and mechanism of action of bile salt hydrolase-active Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 capsules in hypercholesterolemic adults.

Subjects/methods: A total of 127 subjects completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm, multicenter study. Subjects were randomized to consume L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 capsules or placebo capsules over a 9-week intervention period. The primary outcome was LDL-C relative to placebo at the study end point.

Results: L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 capsules reduced LDL-C by 11.64% (P<0.001), total cholesterol by 9.14%, (P<0.001), non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) by 11.30% (P < 0.001) and apoB-100 by 8.41% (P = 0.002) relative to placebo. The ratios of LDL-C/HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and apoB-100/apoA-1 were reduced by 13.39% (P = 0.006) and 9.00% (P = 0.026), respectively, relative to placebo. Triglycerides and HDL-C were unchanged. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and fibrinogen were reduced by 1.05 mg/l (P = 0.005) and 14.25% (P = 0.004) relative to placebo, respectively. Mean plasma deconjugated bile acids were increased by 1.00 nmol/l (P=0.025) relative to placebo, whereas plasma campesterol, sitosterol and stigmasterol were decreased by 41.5%, 34.2% and 40.7%, respectively.

Conclusions: The present results suggest that the deconjugation of intraluminal bile acids results in reduced absorption of non-cholesterol sterols and indicate that L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 capsules may be useful as an adjunctive therapy for treating hypercholesterolemia.

Research Insights

Back to top