Find in Library

<i>Angelica gigas</i> Nakai, Korean dang-gui, has long been widely used in traditional treatment methods. There have been a number of studies of the health effects of <i>A. gigas</i> and related compounds, but studies addressing effects on blood triglycerides (TG) are lacking. To investigate the effects of <i>A. gigas</i> Nakai extract (AGNE) on TG in Korean subjects, we carried out a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects who met the inclusion criterion (130 mg/dL &#8804; fasting blood TG &#8804; 200 mg/dL) were recruited for this study. One hundred subjects were assigned to the AGNE group (<i>n</i> = 50) or the placebo group (<i>n</i> = 50), who were given 1 g/day of AGNE (as <i>a gigas</i> Nakai extract 200 mg/d) in capsules and the control group for 12 weeks. Outcomes were efficacy TG, lipid profiles, atherogenic index, and safety parameters were assessed initially for a baseline measurement and after 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of supplementation, TG and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) concentration and TG/HDL-C ratio in the AGNE group were significantly reduced compared to the placebo group (<i>p</i> &lt; 05). No significant changes in any safety parameter were observed. These results suggest that the ingestion of AGNE may improve TG and be useful to manage or prevent hypertriglyceridemia.