- 2020-07-09
- Lipids in health and disease 19(1)
- Jung Min Cho
- Jisuk Chae
- Sa Rang Jeong
- Min Jung Moon
- Ki-Chan Ha
- Sunoh Kim
- Jong Ho Lee
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Sample size
- n = 39
- Population
- subjects with borderline-high cholesterol levels (between 200 and 239 mg/dL)
- Methods
- randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study; one capsule daily containing 600 mg of freeze-dried uRC extract (n=39) or the placebo (n=38)
- Blinding
- Double-blind
- Duration
- 12 weeks
Background
Rubus coreanus (R. coreanus) possesses properties that may decrease cholesterol levels.Methods
The effects of unripe R. coreanus (uRC) consumption on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol levels related to decreased circulating apolipoprotein (Apo) B and oxidized LDL levels were evaluated. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included subjects with borderline-high cholesterol levels (between 200 and 239 mg/dL) who consumed one capsule daily containing 600 mg of freeze-dried uRC extract (n = 39) or the placebo (n = 38).Results
After 12 weeks, the uRC group showed reductions of 21.23 ± 4.36 mg/dL in total cholesterol levels (P = 0.007) and 15.61 ± 4.16 mg/dL in LDL cholesterol levels (P = 0.032). In addition, significantly greater reductions in Apo B levels were observed in the uRC group (- 3.48 ± 3.40 mg/dL), but Apo B levels were increased in the placebo group (6.21 ± 2.84 mg/dL; P = 0.032). Furthermore, a remarkably lower oxidized LDL level was detected in the uRC group (57.76 ± 2.07 U/L) than in the placebo group (66.09 ± 3.47 U/L) after 12 weeks of consumption (P = 0.044).Conclusions
Because of its cholesterol-lowering effect, uRC shows great promise as a therapeutic agent for subjects with borderline-high total blood cholesterol levels.Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03649620 (8/28/2018, retrospectively registered).