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Policosanol
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| Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
| Octacosanol, triacontanol, etc. | |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | |
| ATC code | C10 |
| PubChem | ? |
| Chemical data | |
| Formula | CH3-(CH2)n-CH2OH n=24-34 |
| Mol. mass | (variable) |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Bioavailability | ? |
| Metabolism | ? |
| Half life | ? |
| Excretion | ? |
| Therapeutic considerations | |
| Pregnancy cat. |
? |
| Legal status | |
| Routes | ? |
Policosanol (or polycosanol) is the generic term for a natural extract of plant waxes. It is used as a nutritional supplement intended to lower (bad) LDL cholesterol and increase (good) HDL cholesterol and to help prevent atherosclerosis, though some studies have raised questions about the effectiveness of policosanol.
Contents |
Physical properties
Policosanol is a mixture of a few fatty alcohols derived from the waxes of such plants as sugar cane1 and yams, as well as beeswax. The most prevalent alcohol in policosanol is octacosanol,2 followed by triacontanol.
There is a much lower concentration of several other fatty alcohols: behenyl alcohol, lignoceryl alcohol, ceryl alcohol, 1-heptacosanol, 1-nonacosanol, 1-dotriacontanol, and geddyl alcohol.
Modulation of HMG-CoA reductase3 and bile acid absorption inhibition4 have been proposed as mechanisms.
Studies
Published studies have come to conflicting conclusions regarding the efficacy of policosanol in lowering LDL (i.e., "bad cholesterol") or raising HDL (i.e., "good cholesterol").567 Despite a number of studies funded by the Cuban government, which produces and markets the drug,8 no independent clinical trials have found any evidence of the efficacy of policosanol.5
Production
Policosanol is produced, promoted and studied extensively in Cuba, where pharmaceutical research and sugar cane farms both exist in abundance. The supplement is considered a panacea by some Cubans.citation needed
References
- ^ Marinangeli CP, Kassis AN, Jain D, Ebine N, Cunnane SC, Jones PJ (2007). "Comparison of composition and absorption of sugarcane policosanols" (abstract). Br. J. Nutr. 97 (2): 381–8. doi:. PMID 17298709, http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0007114507336763.
- ^ Ohta Y, Ohashi K, Matsura T, Tokunaga K, Kitagawa A, Yamada K (2008). "Octacosanol attenuates disrupted hepatic reactive oxygen species metabolism associated with acute liver injury progression in rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride". J Clin Biochem Nutr 42 (2): 118–25. doi:. PMID 18385828.
- ^ Singh DK, Li L, Porter TD (2006). "Policosanol inhibits cholesterol synthesis in hepatoma cells by activation of AMP-kinase". J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 318 (3): 1020–6. doi:. PMID 16714400, http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16714400.
- ^ Ng CH, Leung KY, Huang Y, Chen ZY (2005). "Policosanol has no antioxidant activity in human low-density lipoprotein but increases excretion of bile acids in hamsters". J. Agric. Food Chem. 53 (16): 6289–93. doi:. PMID 16076108.
- ^ a b Heiner K. Berthold, MD, PhD; Susanne Unverdorben, MD; Ralf Degenhardt, PhD; Michael Bulitta, Dipl-Stat; Ioanna Gouni-Berthold, MD (May 17, 2006). "Effect of Policosanol on Lipid Levels Among Patients With Hypercholesterolemia or Combined Hyperlipidemia" (abstract). Journal of the American Medical Association 295 (19): 2262–2269. doi:. PMID 16705107, http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/295/19/2262. Retrieved on 3 October 2006.
- ^ Pons P, Rodriguez M, Robaina C, Illnait J, Mas R, Fernandez L, Fernandez JC. (1994). "Effects of successive dose increases of policosanol on the lipid profile of patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia and tolerability to treatment". International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research 14 (1): 27–33. PMID 7927958.
- ^ Chen JT, Wesley R, Shamburek RD, Pucino F, Csako G (2005). "Meta-analysis of natural therapies for hyperlipidemia: plant sterols and stanols versus policosanol" (abstract). Pharmacotherapy 25 (2): 171–83. doi:. PMID 15767233, http://www.extenza-eps.com/doi/abs/10.1592/phco.25.2.171.56942.
- ^ "Cuba—innovation through synergy". Nature Biotechnology 22: DC19-DC24. 2004. doi:, http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v22/n12s/fig_tab/nbt1204supp-DC19_T1.html.
External links
- Policosanol at PDRHealth.com
- U.S. Patent 6,225,354
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 16 October 2008, at 11:45.
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