Title:Regulation of Apolipoprotein B by Natural Products and Nutraceuticals: A Comprehensive Review
Volume: 28
Issue: 7
Author(s): Mohammad Bagherniya, Thomas P. Johnston and Amirhossein Sahebkar*
Affiliation:
- Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran,Iran
Keywords:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), phytochemicals, lipoprotein, dyslipidemia, apolipoprotein B, cholesterol.
Abstract: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the most important and the number one cause of mortality
in both developing and industrialized nations. The co-morbidities associated with CVD are
observed from infancy to old age. Apolipoprotein B100 (Apo B) is the primary apolipoprotein and
structural protein of all major atherogenic particles derived from the liver including Very-Low-
Density Lipoproteins (VLDL), Intermediate-density Lipoprotein (IDL), and Low-density Lipoprotein
(LDL) particles. It has been suggested that measurement of the Apo B concentration is a superior
and more reliable index for the prediction of CVD risk than is the measurement of LDL-C.
Nutraceuticals and medicinal plants have attracted significant attention as it pertains to the treatment
of non-communicable diseases, particularly CVD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and Nonalcoholic
Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). The effect of nutraceuticals and herbal products on CVD,
as well as some of its risk factors such as dyslipidemia, have been investigated previously. However,
to the best of our knowledge, the effect of these natural products, including herbal supplements
and functional foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables as either dry materials, or their extracts) on
Apo B has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper was to review
the effect of bioactive natural compounds on plasma Apo B concentrations. It is concluded that, in
general, medicinal plants and nutraceuticals can be used as complementary medicine to reduce
plasma Apo B levels in a safe, accessible, and inexpensive manner in an attempt to prevent and
treat CVD.
