A nutraceutical formulation based on Annurca apple polyphenolic extract is effective on intestinal cholesterol absorption: A randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the in vitro and clinical effects of a novel nutraceutical product (AMD), formulated with Annurca apple polyphenolic extracts, on the intestinal cholesterol micellar solubility. AMD was able to decrease in vitro cholesterol micellar solubility by about 85.7%, while Nuclear Magnetic Resonance experiments allowed to hypothesize dimeric procyanidins as potential responsible compounds for this effect. Then, a randomised, double blind, single centre, placebo-controlled, crossover study, was designed to evaluate the effect of AMD on the fecal cholesterol excretion. Clinical data indicated that fecal cholesterol excretion was significantly increased (about +35%) in the AMD period compared with placebo period (P < 0.01). AMD may be regarded as a novel complementary and/or alternative safe remedy with clinical relevance in the primary cardiovascular disease prevention.Graphical abstract
Source: PharmaNutrition - Category: Nutrition Source Type: research