OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of eggplant extract on serum lipid levels with that of lovastatin.

METHODS

The study included 21 individuals of both sexes, with total cholesterol (TC) levels>> 200 mg/dL, no diabetes, no contraindication for the use of statins, and no use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, divided into the following 3 groups: 1) the eggplant group (B), in which the patients drank 1 glass of eggplant extract with orange juice before breakfast each morning; 2) the statin group (E), in which the patients received 20 mg of lovastatin in the evening after dinner; 3) control group (C), in which the patients received no treatment. Total cholesterol and fractions (HDL, LDL), and triglycerides were measured 3 times at 3-week intervals.

RESULTS

The baseline lipid levels were similar in the 3 groups. After 6 weeks, a significant reduction in TC levels (from 245.29 +/- 41.69 to 205.71 +/- 46.45; P=0.02) and in LDL-cholesterol levels (from 170.83 +/- 41.76 to 121.29 +/- 44.90; P=0.008) was observed in group E. In group B, total cholesterol (from 230.60 +/- 19.30 to 240.20 +/- 16.22; P=0.27) and LDL-cholesterol (from 139.60 +/- 21.49 to 154.40 +/- 9.66; P=0.06) showed no statistically significant variation, as in group C. No significant variation was observed in the HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the 3 groups throughout the study.

CONCLUSIONS

The eggplant extract with orange juice is not to be considered an alternative to statins in reducing serum levels of cholesterol.