Effect of the Garcinia kola Seed on Serum Lipids in Adult Subjects

Background: Many studies have reported the lipid-lowering effect of the Garcinia kola seed in experimental animals.

Objective: Assessing the effect of daily intake of Garcinia kola seed on serum lipids in adult subjects.

Methods: This research work was an intervention study based on a quasi-experimental approach carried out over a three-month period i.e. from May 1 to July 30, 2019. The study sample consisted of 40 adult subjects (18 men and 22 women) who gave their written informed consent to participate to in the study. After receiving required information, each subject underwent a baseline lipid test consisting of total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides. Then, each subject consumed every day one Garcinia kola seed during 90 days. Every 30 days, a lipid test was performed. TC, HDL-C and triglycerides were determined using end-point colometric enzyme assay. LDL-C was estimated using the formula of Friedewald. Student’s t test helped compare the mean values of lipid parameters at the beginning and at the end of the experiment at the threshold of 5%.

Results: At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, the mean values in g/L of TC (1.68±0.35 vs 1.60±0.31), HDL-C (0.53±0.13 vs 0.51±0.14), LDL-C (0.97±0.36 vs 0.94±0.34) and triglycerides (0.91±0.50 vs 0.72±0.33) were not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, we noted a downward trend in those values over time during the experiment.

Conclusion: The daily consumption of Garcinia kola seed improves serum lipid profile. The use of that seed is a potential alternative to the conventional treatment of dyslipidemia.