Effect of Touchi extract on blood lipids in hypertriglyceridemic subjects and Sprague-Dawley rats

Previous studies have found that blood glucose and triacylglycerol (TG) levels improved when diabetic humans and mice were treated with Touchi extract (TE), a traditional Chinese food. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the same beneficial effect could be replicated in nondiabetic human subjects and rats. In the rat study, 5-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with TE for 3 weeks. Serum and liver TG levels were dose-dependently and significantly decreased (2% TE, P < .05). In the human study, 46 mild and borderline hypertriglyceridemic subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of long-term TE consumption. Subjects were administered with or without 0.3 g of TE before each meal for 6 months. In the TE-ingested group, TG levels were decreased (0.21 mmol/L, P < .01) when compared with a placebo group, with no side effects. Therefore, TE may be useful in the long-term treatment of hypertriglyceridemic subjects and merits further investigation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.