Effects of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. and curcuminoids on the level of serum and liver lipids, serum apolipoprotein A-I and lipogenic enzymes in rats.

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb., a medicinal plant used in Indonesia, has been shown to exert diverse physiological functions. However, little attention has been paid to its effect on lipid metabolism. We have investigated the effects of C. xanthorrhiza on serum and liver lipids, serum high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, and liver lipogenic enzymes in rats. In rats given a cholesterol-free diet, C. xanthorrhiza decreased the concentrations of serum triglycerides and phospholipids, and liver cholesterol, and increased serum HDL-cholesterol and apo A-I. The activity of liver fatty acid synthase, but not glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, was decreased by the medicinal plant. In rats on a high-cholesterol diet, C. xanthorrhiza did not suppress the elevation of serum cholesterol, although it did decrease liver cholesterol. Curcuminoids prepared from C. xanthorrhiza had no significant effects on the serum and liver lipids. These studies, therefore, indicate that C. xanthorrhiza contains an active principle(s) other than curcuminoids which can modify the metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins.