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 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . 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.    
     
     
         21 . A composition according to  claim 20 , wherein at least one of compositions (b) and (c) is an extract from a plant or plant parts.  
     
     
         22 . A composition according to  claim 21 , wherein compositions (b) and (c) are extracts from different plant or parts thereof.  
     
     
         23 . A composition according to  claim 20 , 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.  
     
     
         24 . A composition according to  claim 23 , 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.    
     
     
         25 . A composition according to  claim 24 , 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.  
     
     
         26 . A composition according to  claim 20 , wherein composition (a) comprises between 200 mg and 100 g, per daily dosage unit, of one or more soluble fibres selected from pectin, chitosan, β-glucan, psyllium, xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum Arabic, soy fibre and mixtures thereof, preferably comprising pectin and/or β-glucan.  
     
     
         27 . A composition according to  claim 20 , 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.  
     
     
         28 . A composition according to  claim 20 , wherein composition (a) further contains at least 10% by dry weight of phytosterols and/or phytostanols capable of reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestine.  
     
     
         29 . A composition according to  claim 28 , wherein the phytosterol and/or phytostanol or mixture thereof comprises a plant sterol obtained from vegetable oil or wood pulp.  
     
     
         30 . A composition according to  claim 28 , comprising a phytosterol selected from sitosterol, stigmasterol, ergosterol, campesterol, avenasterol, brassicasterol, desmosterol, chalinosterol, poriferasterol, clionasterol, sitostanol, stigmastanol and campestanol.  
     
     
         31 . A composition according to  claim 30 , wherein the phytosterol comprises a sitosterol.  
     
     
         32 . A composition according to  claim 20 , 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.  
     
     
         33 . A composition according to  claim 32 , wherein composition (c) comprises one or more cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase activators and/or one or more Acyl-CoA acyl transferase inhibitors.  
     
     
         34 . A composition according to  claim 33 , 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.    
     
     
         35 . A composition according to  claim 20 , further comprising an effective amount of a component for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular disorders.  
     
     
         36 . A composition according to  claim 35 , 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.  
     
     
         37 . A food or beverage product comprising a composition according to  claim 20 .  
     
     
         38 . A nutritional supplement comprising a composition according to  claim 20 .  
     
     
         39 . A tablet, capsule, microbead, emulsion, powder, granule, suspension, syrup, elixir or chewing gum comprising a composition according to  claim 20 .  
     
     
         40 . 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 200 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.