Effects of safflower seed extract supplementation on oxidation and cardiovascular risk markers in healthy human volunteers

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 101; no. 4; pp. 568 - 575
• Main Authors: Koyama, Naoto, Suzuki, Katsuya, Furukawa, Yasushi, Arisaka, Harumi, Seki, Tetsuya, Kuribayashi, Kanna, Ishii, Koichi, Sukegawa, Eiji, Takahashi, Michio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 28-02-2009
• Subjects: 8-Isoprostane; Adult; Amides; Analysis of Variance; anti-inflammatory activity; Antihypertensives; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; aorta; Atherosclerosis - immunology; Atherosclerosis - prevention & control; Autoantibodies - blood; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular diseases; cell adhesion; Chemokine CCL2 - blood; Cholesterol; Cocoa; diet-related diseases; Dietary Supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Flavonoids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health risks; Hemodynamics; Human and Clinical Nutrition; human diseases; human nutrition; Human studies; Humans; inflammation; isoprostane; Isoprostanes - urine; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; low density lipoprotein; Male; Malondialdehyde - analogs & derivatives; Malondialdehyde - blood; men; nutritional intervention; Oxidation; Oxidative Stress; Oxidized LDL; Pilot Projects; plant extracts; Polyphenols; Pulse; Risk Factors; Safflower Oil - administration & dosage; Safflower seed extract; safflower seed products; Seeds; Serotonin; Serotonin - blood; Serotonin derivatives; stiffness; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Wave velocity; Japan; United States > US; 8-Isoprostane; Safflower seed extract; Serotonin derivatives; Oxidized LDL; Human studies; Human; Seeds; Serotonin; Safflower seed extract: Serotonin derivatives: Human studies: 8-Isoprostane: Oxidized LDL; Cardiovascular disease; Extract; Marker; Isoprostane; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Neurotransmitter; Oxidation; Supplementation
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508025786

We previously demonstrated that safflower seed extract (SSE) and its major antioxidant constituents, serotonin hydroxycinnamic acid amides, suppressed LDL oxidation in vitro, decreased plasma autoantibody titres to oxidized LDL and attenuated atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoE-deficient mice. In this report, we examined whether SSE, rich in serotonin derivatives, could affect markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and aortic stiffness in healthy human subjects. Twenty Japanese male volunteers were studied at baseline, after 2·1 g SSE supplementation daily (providing 290 mg serotonin derivatives/d) for 4 weeks, and after a 4-week washout period. Significant reductions in circulating oxidized LDL, autoantibody titres to malondialdehyde-modified LDL, the soluble form of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and urinary 8-isoprostane were observed after a 4-week intervention. Although there were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure or brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an index of arterial stiffness, baPWV was lower than baseline in eleven of twenty subjects and was accompanied by a reduction in blood pressure. Statistically significant negative correlations were observed between the extent of initial cardiovascular risk markers (autoantibody titres, 8-isoprostane, sVCAM-1 and baPWV) and the effect of intervention. This suggested that individuals with elevated oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or arterial stiffness may receive more benefit from SSE supplementation.