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RE: Comparison of Two
Proprietary Extracts of
Winged Treebine (Cissus
quadrangularis) on Body
Weight and Oxidative
Stress
Obesity, once considered
a problem only in
developed countries, has
become a worldwide
public health problem.
The epidemic of obesity
is associated with
complications such as
type 2 diabetes, stroke,
and cardiovascular
disease. It has also
been reported that
obesity
may induce systemic
oxidative stress, an
increase which is
associated with the
development
of metabolic syndrome.
Oxidative stress is
known to be involved in
the processes of
atherogenesis, ischemic
heart disease, obesity,
the metabolic syndrome,
syndrome X, and
diabetes, and
antioxidants have been
shown to inhibit
oxidative stress. Winged
treebine
(Cissus quadrangularis),
a culinary plant native
to India, has been used
as a folk medicine
in that country for
generations. This plant
has known antioxidative
and free radical
scavenging activities
and has been shown in
previous studies to be
effective in the
management of obesity
and complications
associated with
metabolic syndrome. The
objective of this study
was to compare the
effects of two
proprietary extracts of
winged
treebine on body weight,
blood lipids, and
oxidative stress.
The first part of the
study involved an in
vitro evaluation of the
antioxidant properties
of 2
proprietary extracts of
winged treebine: CORE
(Soy Labs, Fairfield,
CA) and CQR-300
(Gateway Health
Alliance, Fairfield,
CA). Three methods were
used to determine
antioxidant potential:
measurement of
polyphenol
concentration,
determination of ferric
reducing antioxidant
power, and determination
of the scavenging
potential against 1,1-
diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl.
The second part of the
study was a
double-blind,
placebocontrolled
trial of 168
normal-weight,
overweight, and obese
persons aged 19–50
years,
which was conducted at
the Laboratory of
Nutrition and
Nutritional
Biochemistry,
University of Yaoundé,
Cameroon. The subjects
received 2 daily doses
of CORE (15
mg/day ketosteroids) for
8 weeks and then of
CQR-300 (15 mg/day
ketosteroids) for 6
weeks or placebo for 6
weeks while consuming an
energy-restricted diet
(2100 kcal/d) or
CORE (15 mg/day
ketosteroids) for 8
weeks or CQR-300 (15
mg/day ketosteroids) for
6
weeks with no diet
restriction. Body
weight, percentage body
fat,
low-density-lipoprotein
oxidation, protein
carbonyls, and blood
lipids were measured at
the beginning and end of
the
study period.
A total of 153 subjects
completed the study. The
in vitro antioxidant
activity of CORE was
significantly greater (P
< 0.01) than that of
CQR-300, regardless of
the method of analysis.
Compared with CQR-300,
CORE significantly
decreased (P < 0.01) the
formation of
thiobarbituric
acid–reactive substances
and carbonyls. CQR-300
resulted in a greater
reduction in body weight
than did placebo (P <
0.05), and CORE resulted
in a greater
reduction in body weight
than did CQR-300 (P <
0.01). Body weight
decreased after 8
weeks of CORE, and 6
weeks of CQR-300
compared to placebo
(P<0.05-0.01). In the
participants who
consumed an
energy-restricted diet,
CORE and CQR-300
consumption
decreased total
cholesterol by 26.0% and
18.0%, lower density
lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol by 32.4% and
29.0%, triacylglycerol
by 28.0% and 21.7%, and
fasting blood
glucose by 16.1% and
14.6%, respectively.
Changes in these
variables were less
pronounced
in the participants who
consumed their usual
diets.
The consumption of CORE
and CQR-300 at a dosage
of 15 mg/day
ketosteroids for 8 and 6
weeks, respectively,
resulted in a
significant reduction in
body weight of the obese
subjects,
which was accompanied by
a significant
improvement in the lipid
profile and in blood
glucose concentrations.
These improvements
translate to a reduction
in cardiovascular
disease risk. The
authors conclude that
the results "warrant
further exploration into
the
active phytonutrients of
Cissus quadrangularis
and the potential of its
newly discovered
weight loss and
cardiovascular health
benefits."
—Brenda Milot, ELS
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