Bioactive Compounds Formulated in Phytosomes Administered as Complementary Therapy for Metabolic Disorders.

Metabolic disorders (MDs), including dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity and cardiovascular diseases are a significant threat to human health, despite the many therapies developed for their treatment. Different classes of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and triterpenes have shown therapeutic potential in ameliorating various disorders. Most of these compounds present low bioavailability when administered orally, being rapidly metabolized in the digestive tract and liver which makes their metabolites less effective. Moreover, some of the bioactive compounds cannot fully exert their beneficial properties due to the low solubility and complex chemical structure which impede the passive diffusion through the intestinal cell membranes. To overcome these limitations, an innovative delivery system of phytosomes was developed. This review aims to highlight the scientific evidence proving the enhanced therapeutic benefits of the bioactive compounds formulated in phytosomes compared to the free compounds. The existing knowledge concerning the phytosomes' preparation, their characterization and bioavailability as well as the commercially available phytosomes with therapeutic potential to alleviate MDs are concisely depicted. This review brings arguments to encourage the use of phytosome formulation to diminish risk factors inducing MDs, or to treat the already installed diseases as complementary therapy to allopathic medication.

Probiotics determine hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects in hyperlipidemic hamsters.

SCOPE: Hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and the oxidative stress are among the known risk factors of atherosclerosis. Our aim was to assess the hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of a probiotic mix (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis) in hyperlipidemic hamsters (HL). METHODS AND RESULTS: Male Golden Syrian hamsters developed hyperlipidemia after 21 weeks of fat diet. For the last 5 weeks of experiment, ten HL were treated with the probiotic mix (HLP), ten received water (HL). Ten animals received standard chow (N). Increase of plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), phospholipids (PL), oxidized LDL, glucose, of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in plasma, liver, and myocardium, and of intestinal Niemann Pick C1 like 1 (NPC1L1) and microsomal TG transfer protein (MTTP) expression was observed in HL versus N. The probiotic mix decreased plasma TC, TG, PL, oxidized LDL, 4-HNE, and glucose levels and increased paraoxonase-1 activity, decreased NPC1L1 and MTTP protein expression compared to HL. In HLP liver, a significant reduction of TC, TG, and fatty acids was observed. PL increased and 4-HNE levels decreased in the liver and myocardium of HLP versus HL. CONCLUSION: Our data support the administration of probiotics to humans because of their hypolipidemic (through decreasing intestinal NPC1L1 and MTTP) and antioxidant effects (stimulating HDL-associated paraoxonase-1).