(Finance) – Some molecules in bergamot are able to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood. This is what he demonstrated AENEASin collaboration with theItalian nutraceutical company Esserre Pharma which financed the research, conducted first in the laboratory (in vitro) and then on a sample of 50 people (in vivo). The results were published in the international journal Phytotherapy Research. “In the laboratory we subjected human liver cells to treatments differentiated by duration (4 and 24 hours) and quantity of natural extract administered. A decrease in the intracellular content of cholesterol and triglycerides and, above all, the inhibition of the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis, i.e. fat”, he explains Barbara Benassi, head of the ENEA Health Laboratory and environment and co-author of the research together with her ENEA colleague Maria Pierdomenico it’s at Costanza Riccioni of Esserre Pharma.
Once the laboratory activities were completed, the team of researchers started a clinical study, in collaboration with prof. Arrigo Cicero of the University of Bolognawhich involved 50 healthy subjects aged between 18 and 70 years and with a moderately high blood cholesterol level (between 115 and 190 mg/Dl). Under medical supervision, the sample underwent a treatment based on bergamot extract which gave very promising results: the analyzes showed an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol (+5%), a significant reduction in “bad” cholesterol ” LDL (approximately -8%) and triglycerides (approximately -13%) and a hypoglycemic action (approximately -3.4% of fasting blood sugar).
“These results open the way, for example, to the use of bergamot extract on those patients who experience side effects derived from drugs and who choose a nutraceutical approach for the treatment of dyslipidemia, a disorder that alters the levels of fats in the blood increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications,” explains the ENEA researcher.
The bergamot (Citrus bergamia) it is a Mediterranean citrus fruit typical of Calabria which is harvested from November to February; it is characterized by a rich composition of bioactive molecules, such as flavonoids which represent a vast range of powerful antioxidants present in abundance in the whole fruit. The extract used for this research is obtained from the processing of different parts of the fruit subjected to a process of separation of the essential oil, which is instead intended for the cosmetic and food industries.
“After the pomegranate fruit, this time we carried out careful research work with the ENEA Health and Environment Laboratory to evaluate the biological activity of Mediterranean bergamot extracts – he explains Riccioni –. For too long this fruit has been underestimated but it is actually a small treasure on a scientific level, rich in flavonoids, valid allies of cardio-metabolic well-being”.