Cholesterol lowering supplement

Abstract

The invention provides a composition and a method for lowering blood serum cholesterol levels or for preventing elevated blood serum cholesterol levels, as well as a suitable composition comprising (a) one or more phytosterols and/or phytostanols capable of reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestine and/or one or more soluble fibres capable of inhibiting ileal bile acid absorption, (b) a composition capable of inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis, and (c) a composition capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism, wherein at least one of compositions (b) and (c) is preferably derived from plants.

1 . A composition comprising:
 (a) one or more soluble fibres capable of inhibiting ileal bile acid absorption;   (b) a composition capable of inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis;   (c) a composition capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism;   wherein at least one of compositions (b) and (c) is obtained from plants.   
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of compositions (b) and (c) is an extract from a plant or plant parts. 
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 2 , wherein compositions (b) and (c) are extracts from different plant or parts thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein composition (b) capable of inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis comprises one or more HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and/or squalene synthase inhibitors, preferably one or more HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. 
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 4 , wherein the composition (b) is derived from a plant or plant part selected from Alisma orientale, Typha spp., Salvia miltiorhiza, Polygonum multiflorum, Curcuma spp., Ligusticum spp., Polygonatum spp., Polygonum cuspidatum;
 Corydalis spp; Chrysanthemum morifolium; Arthemisia capillaries; Crataegus pinnatifida, Eleutheroccus senticocus, Astragalus membranaceus and subspecies and varieties thereof, the composition especially comprising an extract of Polygonum multiflorum.   
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 5 , wherein composition (c) capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism is derived from a plant or plant part selected from Polygonum multiflorum, Curcuma spp., Ligusticum spp., Polygonatum spp., Polygonum cuspidatum, Corydalis spp., Chrysanthemum morifolium, Arthemisia capillaries and Acanthopanax senticosus; wherein compositions (b) and (c) are extracts from different plants or parts thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein composition (a) comprises between 10 mg and 100 g, per daily dosage unit, of one or more soluble fibres selected from pectin, chitosan, (3-glucan, psyllium, xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum Arabic, soy fibre and mixtures thereof, preferably comprising pectin and/or (3-glucan. 
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the fibres of composition (a) and the combination of compositions (b) and (c) is between 1:5 and 100:1. 
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein composition (a) further contains at least 10% by dry weight of phytosterols and/or phytostanols capable of reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestine. 
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the phytosterol and/or phytostanol or mixture thereof comprises a plant sterol obtained from vegetable oil or wood pulp. 
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 9 , comprising a phytosterol selected from sitosterol, stigmasterol, ergosterol, campesterol, avenasterol, brassicasterol, desmosterol, chalinosterol, poriferasterol, clionasterol, sitostanol, stigmastanol and campestanol. 
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the phytosterol comprises a sitosterol. 
     
     
         13 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein composition (c) capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism comprises an effective amount of a composition capable of increasing conversion of cholesterol into bile acids and/or inhibiting the esterification of cholesterol. 
     
     
         14 . A composition according to  claim 13 , wherein composition (c) comprises one or more cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase activators and/or one or more Acyl-CoA acyl transferase inhibitors. 
     
     
         15 . A composition according to  claim 14 , wherein the composition capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism is derived from a plant or plant part selected from Polygonum multiflorum, Polygonum cuspidatum, Curcuma spp., Ligusticum spp., Polygonatum spp., Corydalis spp., Chrysanthemum morifolium, Arthemisia capillaries and Acanthopanax senticosus, the composition especially comprising an extract of Chrysanthemum morifolium. 
     
     
         16 . A composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising an effective amount of a component for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular disorders. 
     
     
         17 . A composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the component for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular disorders is selected from a polyunsaturated fatty acid preferably comprising an omega-6-fatty acid and/or an omega-3-fatty acid, antioxidants preferably comprising vitamin E and/or another tocopherol, a phospholipid preferably comprising lecithin, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, magnesium, coenzyme Q10 and zinc. 
     
     
         18 . A food or beverage product comprising a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A nutritional supplement comprising a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A tablet, capsule, microbead, emulsion, powder, granule, suspension, syrup, elixir or chewing gum comprising a composition according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         21 . A method of reducing serum cholesterol levels or preventing elevated blood serum cholesterol levels comprising administering to a person in need thereof an effective amount of:
 (d) at least 10 mg per day of one or more phytosterols and/or phytostanols capable of reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestine, and/or at least 10 mg per day of one or more soluble fibres capable of inhibiting ileal bile acid absorption;   (e) a plant-derived composition capable of inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis; and a plant-derived composition capable of increasing cholesterol metabolism.