Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) is believed to play a role in the progression of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) and the development of diabetes complications. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a novel insoluble fiber derived from the mycelium
Aspergillus niger
, chitin-glucan (CG) (ARTINIA™), evaluated 135 patients with fasting LDL-cholesterol 130-189.9 mg/dl and fasting glucose <=125 mg/dl. Participants were randomly assigned to receive CG (4.5 g/day; n=34), CG (1.5 g/day; n=33), CG (1.5 g/day) plus olive extract (n=33), or matching placebo (n=35) for 6 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the between-group difference in OxLDL. Secondary outcome measurements included effects upon lipid, glucose, insulin, and F2-isoprostane levels. After 6 weeks, CG 4.5 g/day (CG-4.5) significantly reduced mean OxLDL 3.8 U/L compared to baseline (58.0 U/L vs 61.8 U/L, respectively;
P
=0.006), and reduced OxLDL 4.97 U/L compared to placebo (P=<0.05). Other treatment groups generally had no significant effect upon OxLDL. CG treatment groups reduced LDL-cholesterol levels 3.2–;6.5% compared to placebo (P<0.05). In this study population without diabetes mellitus or elevated glucose levels, CG did not significantly affect high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, F2-isoprostanes, or the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Treatments were well tolerated and with adverse experiences comparable to placebo. These results suggest that chitin-glucan, a novel insoluble fiber, may significantly reduce OxLDL and LDL-cholesterol levels, which may have therapeutic implications for patients at risk for CHD or other diabetes complications.
Lipoprotein Signatures of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein and HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibition
