title: Efficacy of polyphenolic ingredients of Chinese herbs in treating dyslipidemia of metabolic syndromes.
abstract: There is an increasing interest and popularity of Chinese herbal medicine worldwide, which is accompanied by increasing concerns about its effectiveness and potential toxicity. Several ingredients, such as polyphenolic compounds berberine, flavonoids, and curcumin, have been studied extensively by using various animal models. Effectiveness of treatment and amelioration of metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, has been demonstrated. This review summarizes the major checkpoints and contributing factors in regulation of exogenous and endogenous lipid metabolism, with particular emphasis centered on triglyceride-rich and cholesterol-rich lipoproteins. Available experimental evidence demonstrating the lipid-lowering effect of berberine, flavonoids and curcumin in cell culture and animal models is compiled, and the strengths and shortcomings of experimental designs in these studies are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Ottawa Institute of System Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa K1H 8M5, Canada; E-mail: zyao@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Zemin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008074:Lipoproteins; D059808:Polyphenols