Characterizing Eckol as a Therapeutic Aid: A Systematic Review

Manandhar, Bandana; Paudel, Pradeep; Seong, Su Hui; Jung, Hyun Ah; Choi, Jae Sue

Increase in the level of lipids (fats, cholesterol, and triglycerides) in the blood leads to several acquired or genetic disorders referred to as hyperlipidemia. Cardiovascular or heart diseases are the major complications of hyperlipidemia prevented through the appropriate use of medications and a healthy lifestyle. In search of anti-hyperlipidemic agents, the effects of eckol and dieckol isolated from ethanolic extract of E. stolonifera were investigated on lipid levels in the serum of hyperlipidemic rats. A high-cholesterol diet or poloxamer 407 was used to induce hyperlipidemia in rats. The rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet showed elevated levels of TC (255.6 ± 8.7 mg/dL), TG (240.2 ± 14.0 mg/dL), and LDL-C (145.1 ± 10.4 mg/dL) in the serum, as well as an increased atherogenic index (A.I.) (3.47 ± 0.4). Eckol at a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight once a day for 3 days, reduced the serum TC (157.0 ± 9.7 mg/dL), TG (174.9 ± 14.6 mg/dL), LDL-C (63.1 ± 10.1 mg/dL), and A. I. (1.77 ± 0.3). In addition, the HDL-C level of hyperlipidemic control rats induced by poloxamer 407 was 59.9 ± 5.6 mg/dL, and that of the eckol-treated rats increased to 66.2 ± 5.2 mg/dL [80] .