HYPOLIPIDEMIC AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF FENUGREEK SEEDS AND TRIPHALAAS ADJUNCTS TO DIETARY THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Objective: To test whether dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and blood gl ucose levels can be modulated by alternative herbs and fibre as dietar y adjuncts. Design and Setting: Randomized, double blind placebo contr olled trial in a primary and secondary care research centre. Subjects and Methods: Subjects (n = 92) with mild to moderate hypercholesterole mia were assigned to American Heart Association step 1 diet for a peri od of 12 weeks and then randomized to three different test agents in i dentical sachets for another 12 weeks. The test agents were fenugreek seeds powder (60.0 gl day), triphala (6.0 g/day), and cellulose placeb o (3.0 g/day). Results: Of 92 subjects with serum cholesterol between 5.17 and 7.76 nmol/l, 89 successfully completed 12,weeks of AHA step I diet and then augmented the diet with one of the fibre or herb supple ment for additional 12 weeks. Incremental differences from placebo for low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol n ere: -15.1% for fenugreek and -3.5% for triphala (NS); for total cholesterol the differences we re -13.4% for fenugreek and 2.7% for triphala, The incremental differe nces in triglycerides (significant) for fenugreek were -9.5% and for t riphala -6.3% with a 4.4% increase in HDL cholesterol. LDL/HDL cholest erol ratio showed significant decline from the baseline levels in both groups without such changes in the control group, Fasting and postpra ndial blood glucose as n ell as lipid peroxides and diene conjugates ( indicators of oxidative stress) showed significant decline in fenugree k and triphala group whereas these changes were nonsignificant in the placebo group, The incremental differences in Lipid peroxides and dien e conjugates were significant for fenugreek and triphala, Compliance t o treatment varied between 92% and 99% and only mild gastrointestinal side effects were observed. Conclusion: While fenugreek seeds showed s ubstantial hypocholesterolemic effect, triphala had only modest benefi t on AHA step 1 diet effects, Both the test agents showed hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects.