Abstract
To test the hypothesis that non-sterol mevalonate pathway end products lower serum cholesterol levels, we asked 22 hypercholesterolemic subjects (315±9 mg cholesterol/dl) to take a daily capsule containing 140 mg of lemongrass oil, an essential oil rich in geraniol and citral. The paired difference in serum cholesterol levels of subjects completing the 90-day study approached significance (P<0.06, 2-tailed t-test). The subjects segregated into two groups, one consisting of 14 subjects resistant to the protocol and the other consisting of 8 subjects who responded. Paired differences in cholesterol level at 30, 60 and 90 d for resistant subjects were +2±6, +2±7 and −1±6 mg/dl; paired differences for the responding subjects were −25±10 (p<0.05), −33±8 (p<0.01) and −38±10 (p<0.025), respectively. The paired difference (+8±4) in the cholesterol levels of six responders 90 days after the discontinuation of lemongrass oil was not significant.
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Abbreviations
- GRAS:
-
Generally Regarded As Safe
- HDL:
-
high density lipoprotein
- HMGR:
-
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl reductase
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Elson, C.E., Underbakke, G.L., Hanson, P. et al. Impact of lemongrass oil, an essential oil, on serum cholesterol. Lipids 24, 677–679 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02535203