Tamar Sanikidze

Medical Physics and Biophysics, Tbilisi State Medical University, Asatiani St. N7, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia

Abstract:

Metabolic syndrome is the combination of metabolic disorders such as carbohydrate metabolic disorder, arterial hypertension, obesity and dislipidemy. A currently favoured hypothesis is that oxidative stress is a complex pathogenic underlying mechanism of metabolic syndrome (1, 3) and hence it may be considered as a potentially useful target in therapies against the syndrome (2).

In the course of the project implementation we have produced the drink called "Elegance" designed for the correction of the components of metabolic syndrome - obesity, carbohydrate metabolic disorders, dislipidemy. The drink was produced out of local raw materials (citruses). Citrus extract for the production of the drink was obtained from tangerine debris (pulp and peel) in the industrial environment by the innovative technology elaborated by of the members of our scientific team. Citrus extracts from peeled fruits produced according to standard principle, as a rule, contain hesperidin and other hydrophilic compounds; apart from the latter the drink produced by our team is especially rich in lipophilic or otherwise fat soluble compounds, including polymethoxylated flavones, nobiletin, tangeritin that are characterized by a whole range of medicinal effects primarily due to their potent antioxidant properties. The main goal of our study was clinical testing of the efficacy of the tangerine drink "Elegance" with potent antioxidant properties on the patients with metabolic syndrome without and with (carbohydrate metabolic disorders). The treatment group of the patients were divided into two subgroups in accordance with GAE-classification (Georgian Association of Endocrinology) of metabolic syndrome: I group (20 patients with the average age of 44±9.1) - metabolic syndrome without carbohydrate metabolic disorders (metabolic disorder being diagnosed based on the presence of the 3 following symptoms: obesity, arterial hypertension, dislipidemy); II group (20 patients with the average age of 50.1±10.8) - metabolic syndrome with carbohydrate metabolic disorders (impaired glucose tolerance / Diabetes Mellitus type 2).

Conclusion:

1.   Tangerine drink "Elegance"- pleasantly tasting drink; without any adverse side effects; it induces a decrease in appetite and food intake, it has diuretic effect and increases peristalsis of gastrointestinal tract.

2.   "Elegance" exerts potent antioxidant effects as shown by the laboratory research data: it reduces oxidative stress which is a complex pathogenic underlying mechanism of metabolic syndrome - "Elegance" normalizes activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide as a primary pathogenic factor responsible for endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and diabetic angiopathy.

3.   A 4-month clinical trials have shown that "Elegance" is an effective remedy for the correction of components of metabolic syndrome:

-     "Elegance" reduces abdominal obesity, which is one of the mediators of the development and progression of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications related to metabolic syndrome.

-     "Elegance" corrects dislipidemy; it normalizes elevated levels of plasma Tg and reduced plasma levels of HDL - Chol which significantly determines the development and outcome of cardiovascular diseases during metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2.

-     "Elegance" effectively corrects carbohydrate metabolism disorders as indicated by significant reduction of glycated hemoglobin HBA1C in patients with impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes mellitus type 2.

Keywords: Metabolic Syndrome, citrus, lipid metabolism.