Extract Of Curcuma Zedoaria R. Prevents Atherosclerosis In Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Curcuma zedoaria R. (Zingiberaceae) has been used to treat headache, fever, and hypertension-related symptoms in Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan. We investigated whether dietary intake of a C. zedoaria extract (CzE) affected atherosclerosis in vivo.MATERIALS/METHODS: Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice (n = 32) were fed a normal diet (ND), a high-cholesterol diet (HCD), an HCD containing CzE (100 mg/kg/day), or an HCD containing simvastatin (10 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks. The anti-atherosclerotic effects were evaluated by observing changes in fatty streak lesions, immunohistochemical analysis, ex vivo fluorescence imaging, lipid profiles, and western blot analysis.RESULTS: The CzE-fed group showed a 41.6% reduction of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, CzE significantly reduced the levels of serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, the chemokine (C-X3-C-motif) ligand 1, the adhesion molecules vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin; down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, high mobility group box-1, and cathepsin levels in the aortic sinuses and aortas of ApoE(-/-) mice were also observed.CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the inclusion of a water extract of C. zedoaria in a HCD is closely correlated with reducing the risk of vascular inflammatory diseases in an ApoE mouse model.