Hypolipidemic Components from Medicine Food Homology Species Used in China: Pharmacological and Health Effects

Hyperlipidemia is a systemic disease caused by abnormal human lipid metabolism. Dietary control and treatment on hyperlipidemia is now a popular therapy pathway. This paper focuses on the medicine food homology (MFH) species used in China with hypolipidemic function, and emphasizes on the active ingredients and their pharmacological effect. The single herbal and its hypolipidemic active ingredients are summarized through reviewing the relevant literatures published in the past twenty years. The ingredients are divided into polysaccharides, flavonoids, steroidal saponins, quinones, alkaloids and others, of which the related researches are described from the aspects of sources, model and method, result and mechanisms, respectively. MFH exerts treating hyperlipidemia through inhibiting the biosynthesis of endogenous lipids, promoting the catabolism of exogenous lipid, restraining lipid absorption, and anti-lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that some MFH species with low toxicity and small side effects can used to adjust the diet nutrition to prevent the occurrence of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.