Effects of a new combination of nutraceuticals on postmenopausal symptoms and metabolic profile: a crossover, randomized, double-blind trial

System-level investigation of anti-obesity effects and the potential pathways of Cordyceps militaris in ovariectomized rats

BACKGROUND

Cordyceps species have been used as tonics to enhance energy, stamina, and libido in traditional Asian medicine for more than 1600 years, indicating their potential for improving reproductive hormone disorders and energy metabolic diseases. Among Cordyceps, Cordyceps militaris has been reported to prevent metabolic syndromes including obesity and benefit the reproductive hormone system, suggesting that Cordyceps militaris can also regulate obesity induced by the menopause. We investigated the effectiveness of Cordyceps militaris extraction (CME) on menopausal obesity and its mechanisms.

METHODS

We applied an approach combining in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. Ovariectomized rats were administrated CME, and their body weight, area of adipocytes, liver and uterus weight, and lipid levels were measured. Next, after the exposure of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells to CME, cell proliferation and the phosphorylation of estrogen receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) were measured. Finally, network pharmacological methods were applied to predict the anti-obesity mechanisms of CME.

RESULTS

CME prevented overweight, fat accumulation, liver hypertrophy, and lowered triglyceride levels, some of which were improved in a dose-dependent manner. In MCF-7 cell lines, CME showed not only estrogen receptor agonistic activity through an increase in cell proliferation and the phosphorylation of estrogen receptors, but also phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase and p38. In the network pharmacological analysis, bioactive compounds of CME such as cordycepin, adenine, and guanosine were predicted to interact with non-overlapping genes. The targeted genes were related to the insulin signaling pathway, insulin resistance, the MARK signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and the estrogen signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that CME has anti-obesity effects in menopause and estrogenic agonistic activity. Compounds in CME have the potential to regulate obesity-related and menopause-related pathways. This study will contribute to developing the understanding of anti-obesity effects and mechanisms of Cordyceps militaris.

Investigating the Systems-Level Effect of Pueraria lobata for Menopause-Related Metabolic Diseases Using an Ovariectomized Rat Model and Network Pharmacological Analysis

This study was conducted to evaluate the biological activities of Pueraria lobata (PL) on menopause-related metabolic diseases and to explore the underlying mechanism of PL by network pharmacological analyses. We used ovariectomized (OVX) rats as a postmenopausal model and administered PL at different doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg). In OVX rats, decreased uterine weights and PPAR-γ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma) mRNA expression in the thigh muscle were significantly recovered after PL administration. PL also significantly alleviated OVX-induced increases in total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT/GPT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST/GOT) levels. To identify the systems-level mechanism of PL, we performed network pharmacological analyses by predicting the targets of the potential bioactive compounds and their associated pathways. We identified 61 targets from four potential active compounds of PL: formononetin, beta-sitosterol, 3’-methoxydaidzein, and daidzein-4,7-diglucoside. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that among female sex hormone-related pathways, the estrogen signaling pathways, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, oxytocin signaling pathways, and prolactin signaling pathways were associated with multiple targets of PL. In conclusion, we found that PL improved various indicators associated with lipid metabolism in the postmenopausal animal model, and we also identified that its therapeutic effects are exerted via multiple female sex hormone-related pathways.

Single blind, multicentre, randomized, controlled trial testing the effects of a novel nutraceutical compound on plasma lipid and cardiovascular risk factors: Results of the interim analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The clustering of high levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and other risk factors represents a predisposing condition for atherosclerotic disease development. Cardiovascular prevention is based on effective control of these conditions. In adult subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia we compared in the real life the effects of a new combination of nutraceuticals on lipid and glucose metabolism and blood pressure with those of an established nutraceutical combination.

METHOD AND RESULTS

This multicenter, controlled, randomized, single-blind trial was designed to compare the effect of Armolipid Plus^® versus that of LopiGLIK^® on lipid and glucose levels and blood pressure (BP) in subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia not on statin therapy. Primary outcome was the proportion of subjects achieving therapeutic targets of LDL-C (<130 mg/dl); secondary outcomes were the effects on HDL-C, glycated haemoglobin and insulin levels. Data from an overall sample of 359 adult individuals (age 55.2 ± 11.1 years, women 57.7%, LDL-C 157.3 ± 22.6 mg/dl, HDL-C 50.7 ± 13.0 mg/dl) are reported. 72% of subjects treated with LopiGLIK^® and 43% treated with Armolipid Plus^® achieved the primary endpoint (p < 0.0001). Both treatments reduced plasma levels of total and LDL-C and triglycerides (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). The treatments also reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma levels of glycated haemoglobin, insulin and HOMA index. The changes induced by LopiGLIK^® in all these metabolic parameters were greater than those obtained with Armolipid Plus^®.

CONCLUSIONS

The present analysis shows that LopiGLIK^® may represent a more effective tool for clinical management of CV risk factors in subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia.