Vol. 4, Issue 1 (2015)

Author(s):
Manika Kala, Tirath Kumar, HK Singh

Abstract:
Postmenopausal women are more prone to the development of coronary heart diseases. Generally, elevated serum cholesterol and lipoprotein levels are used as primary biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of bacosides enriched standardized extract of Bacopa monniera (BESEB-CDRI-08) on lipid profile and blood pressure of postmenopausal women. A single centered, randomized controlled, double blind trial was conducted on 25 postmenopausal women (mean±SEM; 52.00±2.67). The subjects were randomized and divided in 2 groups, group 1: treated with one capsule of BESEB-CDRI-08 (n=19) per day and group 2: treated with placebo capsule (n=6), containing 300 mg of lactose. The changes in the lipid profile (serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and VLDL), blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated. The results obtained after 4 months of treatment showed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides (p=0.002) and VLDL level (p=0.014) in BESEB-CDRI-08 treated group (as compared to baseline data). Serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol also decreased in BESEB-CDRI-08 treated group. Moreover, blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) and heart rate also reduced in BESEB-CDRI-08 treated group (p≤0.001, p=0.002, p =0.001 respectively). However, the placebo treated group showed no significant change in lipid profile and blood pressure. These preliminary findings suggest that standardized extract of B. monniera(BESEB-CDRI-08) may significantly decrease the risk of CVD in postmenopausal woman.