Skip to main content
PMC home page
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry logoLink to Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry
. 2008 Dec 20;23(4):378–381. doi: 10.1007/s12291-008-0083-6

A Pilot clinical study to evaluate the effect of Emblica officinalis extract (Amlamax™) on markers of systemic inflammation and dyslipidemia

B Antony 1,✉, M Benny 1, T N B Kaimal 1
PMCID: PMC3453138  PMID: 23105791

Abstract

Emblica officinalis Gaertn., commonly known as the Indian gooseberry or “Amla”, has been used as health food for centuries in India and other Asian countries. The biological effects of amla have been attributed to the antioxidant properties of the low-molecular weight hydrolysable tannins present in the fruit. Amlamax™ is a purified, standardized, dried extract of amla containing about 35% galloellagi tannins along with other hydrolysable tannins. Our earlier studies on rabbits showed significant reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides as well as increase in HDL. The present study extends these results to human volunteers. Two doses of the extract were evaluated — 500 mg and 1000 mg per day for 6 months. Blood samples were collected at the 3rd and 6th months showed reduction in total and LDL cholesterols and enhancement of beneficial HDL cholesterol. In addition, blood CRP levels, a marker for inflammation, were also significantly reduced. Since dyslipidemia and inflammation are the two major components of cardiovascular diseases, the present results must be considered encouraging and indicate the potential of Amlamax™ in the management of heart diseases.

Key Words: Emblica officinalis, Tannins, Cardiovascular diseases, Inflammation, Dyslipidemia

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (122.6 KB).

References

  • 1.Satyavati G.V., Raina M.K., Sharma M. Medicinal plants of India, Vol. I. New Delhi: Indian Council of Medical Research; 1976. pp. 377–379. [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Mishra M., Pathak U.N., Khan A.B. Emblica officinalis Gaertn and serum cholesterol level in experimental rabbits. Br J Exp Pathol. 1981;62(5):526–528. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Mathur R., Sharma A., Dixit V.P., Varma M. Hypolipidaemic effect of fruit juice of Emblica officinalis in cholesterol-fed rabbits. J Ethnopharmacol. 1996;50(2):61–68. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(95)01308-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Thakur C.P., Mandal K. Effect of Emblica officinalis on cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits. Ind J Med Res. 1984;79:142–146. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Annu J., Pandey M., Kapoor S., Saroja R. Effect of the Indian gooseberry (amla) on serum cholesterol levels in men aged 35–55 years. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1988;42:939–944. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Anila L., Vijayalakshmi N.R. Flavonoids from Emblica officinalis and Mangifera indica-effectiveness for dyslipidemia. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002;79:81–87. doi: 10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00361-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Antony B., Merina B., Sheeba V., Mukkadan J. Effect of standardized Amla extract on atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia. Ind J Pharm Sci. 2006;68(4):437–441. doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.27814. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Bhattacharya S.K., Bhattacharya A., Sairam K., Ghosal S. Effect of bioactive tannoid principles of Emblica officinalis on ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress in rat heart. Phytomedicine. 2002;9:171–174. doi: 10.1078/0944-7113-00090. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Ghosal S., Tripathi V.K., Chauhan S. Active constituents of Emblica officinalis: Part I-The chemistry and anti-oxidative effects of two new hydrolysable tannins, Emblicanin A and B. Ind J Chem. 1996;35B:941–948. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Tariq M., Hussain S.J., Asif M., Jahan M. Protective effect of fruit extracts of Emblica officinalis (Gaertn) and Terminalia belerica (Roxb.) in experimental myocardial necrosis in rats. Ind J Exp Biol. 1977;15:485–486. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.A composition to enhance HDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation and hyperglycemia and correct dysthyroidism in humans, and a method for its preparation. (Patent under processing)
  • 12.Antony B., Merina B., Sheeba V. Toxicity Studies of Amlamax™ — Purified Standardized Extract of Emblica Officinalis. Ind J Nat Prod. 2007;23(2):14–17. [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2006 Update. A report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee, Circulation, 2006, e85–e129; available from http://www.circulationaha.org [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 14.Goldberg R.J., Spencer F.A., Steg P.G., Flather M., Montalescot G., Gurfinkel E.P., et al. Increasing use of single and combination medical therapy in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction in the 21st century. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:1766–1773. doi: 10.1001/archinte.167.16.1766. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Ross R., Harker L. Hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Science. 1976;193:1094–1100. doi: 10.1126/science.822515. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Libby P. Inflammation in atherosclerosis. Nature. 2002;420:868–874. doi: 10.1038/nature01323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Pepys M.B., Hirscfield G.M. C-reactive protein: a critical update. J Clin Invest. 2003;111:1805–1812. doi: 10.1172/JCI18921. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Ridker P.M., Glynn R.J., Hennekens C.H. C-Reactive protein adds to the predictive value of total and HDL cholesterol in determining risk of first myocardial infarction. Circulation. 1998;97:2007–2011. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.97.20.2007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Lagrand W.K., Visser C.A., Hermens W.T., Niessen H.W., Verheugt F.W., Wolbink G.J., Hack C.E. C-Reactive protein as a cardiovascular risk factor: more than an epiphenomenon? [Review] Circulation. 1999;100:96–102. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.100.1.96. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Libby P., Ridker P.M. Novel inflammatory markers of coronary risk: theory versus practice [Editorial; comment] Circulation. 1999;100:1148–1150. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.100.11.1148. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Kluft C., Maat M.P., Gevers Leuven J.A., Potter van Loon B.J., Mohrschladt M.F. Statins and C-reactive protein [Letter] Lancet. 1999;353:1274. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66951-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Strandberg T.E., Hanen H., Tikkanen M.J. Effect of statins on C-reactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease [Letter] Lancet. 1999;353:118–119. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)76154-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Roeschlau P. In: Methods of Enzymatic Analysis. 2nd Edn. Bergmeyer H.U., editor. New York: Academic Press; 1974. p. 1980. [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Burstein M. Rapid method for the isolation of lipoproteins from human serum by precipitation with polyanions. J Lipid Res. 1970;11:583–595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Bucolo G., David H. Quantitative Determination of Serum Triglycerides by the Use of Enzymes. Clin Chem. 1973;19:476–482. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Frieldwald W.T., Levi R.I., Friedericksn D.S. Estimation of the Concentration of Low- Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Plasma, Without Use of the Preparative Ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972;18:499–502. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Binder C.J., Chang M.K., Shaw P.X., Miller Y.I., Hartvigsen K., Dewan A., Witztum J.L. Innate and acquired immunity in atherosclerosis. Nat Med. 2002;8:1218–1226. doi: 10.1038/nm1102-1218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Abe I., Keshiwagi Y., Noguchi H., Tanake T., Ikeshiro Y., Kashiwada Y. Ellagitannins and hexahydroxydiphenoyl esters as inhibitors of vertebrate squalene epoxidase. J Nat Prod. 2001;64:1010–1014. doi: 10.1021/np010100y. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Cabana V.G., Siegel J.N., Sabesin S.M. Effects of acute phase response on the concentration and density distribution of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins. J Lipid Res. 1989;30:39–49. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Sammalkorpi K., Valtonen V., Kerttula Y., Nikkila E., Taskinen M.R. Changes in serum lipoprotein pattern induced by acute infections. Metabolism. 1988;37:859–865. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(88)90120-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES