Blood lipids mainly refer to cholesterol and triglyceride in serum. The increases of cholesterol level, triglyceride level or both are all called hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia and hypercholesteremia play a major role in development of atherosclerosis, which are the main causes of blood vessel and heart diseases. The research on medicaments for lowering levels of cholesterol and low density lipoprotein has long been the main focus on R & D work of lipid-lowering drugs.
Phytosterols are one category of sterols, which have a basic core structure of a heterocyclic compound (non aromatic substance) formed by three C6 rings (different from benzene ring) and one C5 ring, are constituents of various tissues and cells, and bond with proteins to form lipoprotein and constitute various membranes of cells, such as cellular membrane, nuclear membrane, mitochondrial membrane, and endoplasmic reticulum membrane etc. From an aspect of structure, phytsterols have a very similar structure with that of cholesterol, and the difference is only in structure of a branch thereof. Phytosterols are mainly β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, etc. (see formula I). As phytosterols have similar structure with that of cholesterol, phytosterols, phytostanols, and their esters, they can compete with cholesterol in vivo for inhibiting its absorption in small intestine, reduce plasma cholesterol level, and have the function of lowering levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) by adding into special food useful as functional food.

Bamboo leaf has long been used as medicine and food in China, which is a well known drug for clearing away heat and toxins in traditional Chinese medicine. A recent study shows that a bamboo leaf contains large amounts of flavones, phenolic acids, anthraquinones compounds, and bioactive polysaccharides, etc. Flavone glycosides are the main functional factors of bamboo leaf, which mainly comprise C-glycosides; the four main C-glycosylflavones (flavones derived from bamboo leaf) of bamboo leaf are respectively orientin, homoorientin, vitexin, and isoviextin. Studies have proved that flavones derived from bamboo leaf can significantly reduce the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the human body, and increase the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL), have functions of inhibiting lipid peroxidation, dilating coronary vessels, and inhibiting myocardial infarction, etc.
Procyanidins (PC) are the general name of a major category of polyphenol compounds, widely existing in plants, which are polymers formed by different amounts of catechin, epicatechin, or gallic acid linked together. A study shows that procyanidins are good oxygen free radical scavengers and lipid peroxidation inhibitor, have functions of protecting blood vessels, inhibiting atherosclerosis, platelet agglomeration, and myocardial ischemia, hypertension and regulating lipids, and receive more and more attention in the fields of nutrition and health care.
Glucan is a category of polysaccharides with glucose as the basic constituent unit, and is divided into two types, α-glucan and β-glucan. The natural glucan usually exists in form of β-glucan. β-glucan is a mixed linked glucan, whose molecular structure contains three glucoside bonds, β-1,3, β-1,4, and β-1,6, in which β-glucan of barley is β-1,3/1,4-glucan, can prevent and treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by hyperlipidemia, and has functions of significantly reducing levels of lipid and serum cholesterol.
The aforementioned four kinds of substances respectively have certain effects on preventing and treating hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and the like. Research on whether more effective treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia can be achieved by using their combination has been done. From the available literature, most literature disclose compositions consisting of only two kinds of the aforementioned substances, for example US2003068357, WO03105600, WO2005072761, and WO0130359 have disclosed an extract or a composition containing phytosterols and β-glucan which can influence cholesterol level, and US2005227930 has disclosed a composition at least containing flavones derived from citrus, phytosterols or phytostanols which can lower cholesterol level. But until now, there is no report related to the composition of the present invention, and more effective products capable of achieving better synergistic effects need to be developed. After repeated research work and verification, the inventor of the present invention has finally found the composition capable of more effectively treating and preventing hyperlipidemia in order to complete the present invention.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds