Effects of Supplementation with Heracleum persicum Fruit Extract on Serum Lipids in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography: A Pilot Trial

Heracleum persicum Desf. Ex Fischer (Apiaceae) is a native medicinal plant in the Iranian traditional medicine and also a safe and common dietary spice. The present pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of supplementation with H. persicum fruits on serum lipid concentrations in a group of patients with minimal coronary artery disease. Subjects who were diagnosed with <50% luminal narrowing in any of the major coronary arteries in coronary angiography were recruited for this trial and were randomized to receive either H. persicum hydroalcoholic fruit extract (n = 15; 300 mg/day) or placebo (n = 12) for a period of 6 months. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured at baseline and at the end of study. No significant difference in concentrations of total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol was observed between H. persicum extract and placebo groups (p > 0.05). However, serum triglycerides levels were reduced after H. persicum extract supplementation in a borderline significant manner (p = 0.063). Short‐term supplementation with H. persicum fruit extract might be used as an adjunctive treatment for patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.