Protection of Liver Functions and Improvement of Kidney Functions by Twelve Weeks Consumption of Cuban Policosanol (Raydel®) with a Decrease of Glycated Hemoglobin and Blood Pressure from a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, and Double-Blinded Study with Healthy and Middle-Aged Japanese Participants

Therapeutic Effects of Natural Products on Human Diseases

Natural products have long served as potential sources of therapeutic drugs [...].

Cuban Policosanol (Raydel®) Exerts Higher Antioxidant and Anti-Glycation Activities than Chinese Policosanol (BOC Sciences) in Reconstituted High-Density Lipoproteins: In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Activities in Zebrafish and Its Embryos

The present study compares sugarcane-wax purified policosanols sourced from Cuba (Raydel®) and China (BOC Sciences) and utilized following the synthesis of reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL). The two policosanols exhibited distinctly different ingredient ratios of long-chain aliphatic alcohols, particularly 1-octacosanol (C28) and 1-tetratriacotanol (C34). After synthesizing rHDL with apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the two policosanols bound well with phospholipid and apoA-I to form the discoidal rHDL. Notably, rHDL-1, containing Cuban policosanol, displayed the largest particle diameter at approximately 78 ± 3 nm. In contrast, both control rHDL (rHDL-0) and rHDL containing Chinese policosanol (rHDL-2) exhibited smaller particles, with diameters of approximately 58 ± 3 nm and 61 ± 2 nm, respectively. Furthermore, rHDL-1 demonstrated enhanced anti-glycation activity, safeguarding apoA-I from degradation within HDL, and displayed the antioxidant ability to inhibit LDL oxidation. A microinjection of each rHDL into zebrafish embryos in the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML) revealed rHDL-1 to have the strongest antioxidant activity with the highest embryo survivability and normal developmental morphology. Dermal application to recover the wound revealed rHDL-1 to have the highest wound-healing activity (75%) and survivability (92%) in the cutaneous wound area in the presence of CML. In adult zebrafish, injecting CML (250 μg) caused acute death and hyperinflammation, marked by heightened neutrophil infiltration and interleukin (IL)-6 production in liver. However, co-administering rHDL-1 notably increased survival (85%) and exhibited strong anti-inflammatory properties, reducing IL-6 production while improving the blood lipid profile. However, a co-injection of rHDL-2 resulted in the lowest survivability (47%) with more hepatic inflammation. In conclusion, Cuban policosanol (Raydel®) has more desirable properties for the in vitro synthesis of rHDL with stronger anti-glycation and antioxidant activities than those of Chinese policosanol (BOC Sciences). Moreover, Raydel-policosanol-integrated rHDL demonstrates a noteworthy effect on accelerated wound healing and robust anti-inflammatory properties, leading to increased survivability in zebrafish embryos and adults by effectively suppressing CML-induced hyperinflammation.

Consumption of Policosanol (Raydel®) Improves Hepatic, Renal, and Reproductive Functions in Zebrafish: In Vivo Comparison Study among Cuban, Chinese, and American Policosanol

The current study compared three policosanols from Cuba (sugarcane, Raydel®, policosanol (1), China (rice bran, Shaanxi, policosanol (2), and the USA (sugarcane, Lesstanol®, policosanol (3) in the treatment of dyslipidemia and protection of the liver, ovary, and testis in hypercholesterolemic zebrafish. After twelve weeks of supplementation of each policosanol (PCO, final 0.1% in diet, w/w) with a high cholesterol diet (HCD, final 4%, w/w), the Raydel policosanol (PCO1) group showed the highest survivability, approximately 89%. In contrast, Shaanxi policosanol (PCO2) and Lesstanol policosanol (PCO3) produced 73% and 87% survivability, respectively, while the HCD alone group showed 75% survivability. In the 12th week, the PCO1 group demonstrated the most modest increase in body weight along with significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in comparison to the HCD control group. Additionally, the PCO1 group exhibited the highest proportion of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol within TC. Notably, the PCO1 group displayed the lowest level of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, minimal infiltration of inflammatory cells, reduced interleukin (IL)-6 production in the liver, a notable decline in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitigated fatty liver changes. HCD supplementation induced impairment of kidney morphology with the greatest extent of ROS production and apoptosis. On the other hand, the PCO 1 group showed a remarkably improved morphology with the least ROS generation and apoptosis. Within the ovarian context, the PCO1 group exhibited the most substantial presence of mature vitellogenic oocytes, accompanied by minimal levels of ROS and apoptosis. Similarly, in the testicular domain, the PCO1 group showcased optimal morphology for spermatogenesis, characterized by the least interstitial area and diminished production of ROS in testicular cells. At week 8, the PCO1 group showed the highest egg-laying ability, with around 244 eggs produced per mating. In contrast, the HCD alone, PCO2, and PCO3 groups showed significantly lower egg-laying ability (49, 59, and 86 eggs, respectively). The embryos from the PCO1 group exhibited the highest survivability with the fastest swimming ability and developmental speed. These results suggest that PCO1 consumption significantly enhanced the reproduction system, egg-laying ability, and embryo survivability. In conclusion, among the three policosanols, Cuban (Raydel®) policosanol had the strongest effect on survivability, improving dyslipidemia, liver protection, kidney, ovary, and testis with a restoration of the cell morphology, and the least ROS production and apoptosis-induced by HCD supplementation.

Comparison of Policosanols via Incorporation into Reconstituted High-Density Lipoproteins: Cuban Policosanol (Raydel®) Exerts the Highest Antioxidant, Anti-Glycation, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Reconstituted high-density lipoproteins (rHDL) containing each policosanol from Cuba (Raydel®), China (Shaanxi Pioneer), and the United States (Lesstanol®) were synthesized to compare the physiological properties of policosanol depending on sources and origin countries. After synthesis with apolipoproteinA-I (apoA-I) into rHDL, all policosanols bound well with phospholipid and apoA-I to form discoidal rHDL. An rHDL containing Cuban policosanol (rHDL-1) showed the largest rHDL particle size of around 83 ± 3 nm, while rHDL containing Chinese policosanol (rHDL-2) or American policosanol (rHDL-3) showed smaller particles around 63 ± 3 nm and 60 ± 2 nm in diameter, respectively. The rHDL-1 showed the strongest anti-glycation activity to protect the apoA-I degradation of HDL from fructose-mediated glycation: approximately 2.7-times higher ability to suppress glycation and 1.4-times higher protection ability of apoA-I than that of rHDL-2 and rHDL-3. The rHDL-1 showed the highest antioxidant ability to inhibit cupric ion-mediated LDL oxidation in electromobility and the quantification of oxidized species. A microinjection of each rHDL into a zebrafish embryo in the presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML) showed that rHDL-1 displayed the strongest anti-oxidant activity with the highest embryo survivability, whereas rHDL-2 and rHDL-3 showed much weaker protection ability, similar to rHDL alone (rHDL-0). An intraperitoneal injection of CML (250 μg) into adult zebrafish caused acute death and hyperinflammation with an elevation of infiltration of neutrophils and IL-6 production in the liver. On the other hand, a co-injection of rHDL-1 resulted in the highest survivability and the strongest anti-inflammatory ability to suppress IL-6 production with an improvement of the blood lipid profile, such as elevation of HDL-C and lowering of the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. In conclusion, Cuban policosanol exhibited the most desirable properties for the in vitro synthesis of rHDL with the stabilization of apoA-I, the largest particle size, anti-glycation against fructation, and antioxidant activities to prevent LDL oxidation. Cuban policosanol in rHDL also exhibited the strongest in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities with the highest survivability in zebrafish embryos and adults via the prevention of hyperinflammation in the presence of CML.

Cuban Policosanol (Raydel®) Potently Protects the Liver, Ovary, and Testis with an Improvement in Dyslipidemia in Hyperlipidemic Zebrafish: A Comparative Study with Three Chinese Policosanols

Many policosanols from different sources, such as sugar cane and rice bran, have been marketed worldwide to improve blood lipid profiles. But so far, no comparative study has commenced elucidating the effect of different policosanols to improve the blood lipid profile and other beneficial effects. This study compared the efficacy of four different policosanols, including one sugar cane wax alcohol from Cuba (Raydel®) and three policosanols from China (Xi'an Natural sugar cane, Xi'an Realin sugar cane, and Shaanxi rice bran), to treat dyslipidemia in hyperlipidemic zebrafish. After 12 weeks of consumption of each policosanol (final 0.1% in diet, wt/wt) and a high-cholesterol diet (HCD, final 4%, wt/wt), the Raydel policosanol group and the Xi'an Natural policosanol group showed the highest survivability, of approximately 81%. In contrast, the Xi'an Realin policosanol and the Shaanxi policosanol groups showed 57% and 67% survivability, respectively. Among the five HCD groups, the Raydel policosanol group showed the lowest serum total cholesterol (TC, p < 0.001 versus HCD control) and triglyceride (p < 0.001 versus HCD control), with the highest percentage of high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol in TC. The Raydel policosanol group also showed the lowest serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, with the least infiltration of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 production in hepatocytes with a marked reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and fatty liver changes. In the ovary, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the highest content of mature vitellogenic oocytes with the lowest production of reactive oxygen species and cellular apoptosis in ovarian cells. In the testes, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the healthiest morphology for spermatogenesis, with the lowest interstitial area and reactive oxygen species production in testicular cells. Conclusively, among the tested policosanols, Cuba (Raydel®) policosanol exhibited a comparatively better effect in maintaining zebrafish body weight, survivability, blood lipid profile, hepatic function biomarkers, fatty liver changes, ROS generation, inflammation, and restoration of the cell morphology in ovaries and testes affected by the HCD consumption.