Make it a Red Grapefruit..

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Red Grapefruit Positively Influences Serum Triglyceride Level in

Patients Suffering from Coronary Atherosclerosis: Studies in Vitro and

in Humans

Shela Gorinstein,* Abraham Caspi, Imanuel Libman, Henry Tzvi Lerner,

Dejian Huang, Hanna Leontowicz,# Leontowicz,# Zev Tashma, Elena

Katrich, Shengbao Feng, and Simon Trakhtenberg

Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, School of

Pharmacy, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box

12065, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; Institute of Cardiology, Kaplan

University Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel; Department of Chemistry,

National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543; and Department of

Physiological Sciences, Warsaw Agricultural University, Warsaw, Poland

Received for review November 7, 2005. Accepted January 6, 2006.

Abstract:

The contents of the bioactive compounds in red and blond grapefruits

and their influence on humans suffering from hypertriglyceridemia were

studied. It was found that red grapefruit has a higher content of

bioactive compounds and a higher antioxidant potential than blond

grapefruit, determined by oxygen radical scavenging capacity,

1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, carotenoid bleaching, and

Folin-Ciocalteu assays. Fifty-seven hyperlipidemic patients, ages

39-72 years, after coronary bypass surgery, recruited from the

Institute's pool of volunteers, were randomly divided into three equal

in number (19) groups: two experimental (red and blond groups) and one

control group (CG). During 30 consecutive days of the investigation

the diets of the patients of the red and blond dietary groups were

daily supplemented with one equal in weight fresh red or blond

grapefruit, respectively. Before and after this trial, serum lipid

levels of all fractions and serum antioxidant activity were

determined. It was found that serum lipid levels in patients of the

red and blond groups versus the CG after treatment were decreased: (a)

total cholesterol, 6.69 versus 7.92 mmol/L, 15.5%, and 7.32 versus

7.92 mmol/L, 7.6%, respectively; ( low-density lipoprotein

cholesterol, 5.01 versus 6.29 mmol/L, 20.3%, and 5.62 versus 6.29

mmol/L, 10.7%, respectively; © triglycerides, 1.69 versus 2.32

mmol/L, 17.2%, and 2.19 versus 2.32 mmol/L, 5.6%, respectively. No

changes in the serum lipid levels in patients of the CG were found. In

conclusion, fresh red grapefruit contains higher quantities of

bioactive compounds and has significantly higher antioxidant potential

than blond grapefruit. Diet supplemented with fresh red grapefruit

positively influences serum lipid levels of all fractions, especially

serum triglycerides and also serum antioxidant activity. The addition

of fresh red grapefruit to generally accepted diets could be

beneficial for hyperlipidemic, especially hypertriglyceridemic,

patients suffering from coronary atherosclerosis.

Keywords: Fresh red and blond grapefruits; polyphenols; radical

scavenging capacities; hypertriglyceridemic patients