Finding Key Ingredients for Cholesterol Control in Hawthorn Leaves

Greg Howard
11th February, 2024

Finding Key Ingredients for Cholesterol Control in Hawthorn Leaves

Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida)

Photo adapted from: Repina Tatyana / CC BY (Source)
High cholesterol is a major health concern, contributing to heart disease and stroke. Many people seek natural ways to manage their cholesterol levels, and plant-based foods are often considered. Hawthorn leaf, traditionally used as a tea and believed to have health benefits, is gaining attention for its potential to lower cholesterol. However, a recent issue has arisen: hawthorn leaf products are sometimes mixed with the leaves of a related, but different, plant – Malus doumeri. This raises questions about the consistency and effectiveness of hawthorn leaf supplements. Researchers at Yantai University[1] investigated this problem, aiming to identify the specific compounds responsible for hawthorn leaf’s cholesterol-lowering effects and to distinguish between the two plant species. The study focused on comparing Chinese hawthorn leaf (CHL) and Malus doumeri leaf (MDL). The researchers assessed how well each leaf type prevented the buildup of fat in liver cells exposed to high levels of fatty acids – a model for studying how substances affect lipid metabolism. They found that CHL was significantly more effective at reducing fat accumulation than MDL. This suggests that even though the plants look similar, their chemical compositions and biological effects differ. To understand why CHL is more effective, the researchers performed a detailed chemical analysis of both leaves, identifying 68 components in CHL and 67 in MDL, with 33 compounds present in both. This process, called phytochemical profiling, essentially creates a ‘fingerprint’ of each plant’s chemical makeup. However, simply identifying many compounds doesn’t reveal which ones are responsible for the observed cholesterol-lowering effect. To tackle this, the team employed a sophisticated machine learning technique called ‘extreme gradient boosting’ (XGBoost). XGBoost is a powerful algorithm capable of sifting through large datasets to pinpoint the most important factors influencing a particular outcome. In this case, the outcome was the ability to inhibit lipid deposition. The XGBoost algorithm identified twelve key components in CHL and eight in MDL that appeared to contribute to their hypolipidemic (cholesterol-lowering) activity. Interestingly, only four of these components were shared between the two plants. To confirm these findings, the researchers then tested the individual and combined effects of these selected compounds on the liver cells. This confirmed that specific compounds in CHL were indeed responsible for its superior cholesterol-lowering capacity. This research builds upon earlier findings regarding hawthorn’s beneficial effects. For example, studies have shown that hawthorn leaves contain compounds with antithrombotic properties, meaning they can help prevent blood clots[2]. Furthermore, research has highlighted the importance of the gut microbiome in regulating cholesterol levels, and identified compounds like oryzanol as having a positive impact on gut health and lipid metabolism[3]. While this study doesn’t directly address the gut microbiome, it adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the health benefits of hawthorn, and specifically identifies the active compounds responsible for its lipid-lowering effects. The study also connects with the broader understanding of Crataegus pinnatifida (hawthorn) as a valuable medicinal herb[4]. Traditional Chinese medicine has long used hawthorn for digestive and cardiovascular health, including lipid reduction. This research begins to unravel the chemical basis for these traditional uses, identifying specific compounds that contribute to these effects. The finding that seasonal variations affect the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of hawthorn leaves[5] also underscores the importance of considering the source and quality of hawthorn-based products. A key innovation of this study was the use of ‘Shapley additive explanations’ (SHAP) alongside XGBoost. SHAP helps to interpret the complex results of machine learning algorithms, making it clear how each identified compound contributes to the overall effect. This interpretability is crucial for understanding the underlying mechanisms and for developing targeted therapies. The researchers demonstrated that using these interpretable machine learning approaches is a feasible way to filter bioactivity-related compounds. This is particularly important in the context of adulteration, as it provides a scientific basis for distinguishing between genuine hawthorn leaf and its substitutes.

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References

Main Study

1) An Interpretable Screening Approach Derived Through XGBoost Regression for the Discovery of Hypolipidemic Contributors in Chinese Hawthorn Leaf and its Counterfeit Malus Doumeri Leaf.

Published 10th February, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-024-01148-z

Related Studies

2) Antiplatelet aggregation and antithrombotic benefits of terpenes and flavones from hawthorn leaf extract isolated using the activity-guided method.

https://doi.org/10.1039/c8fo01862f

3) Oryzanol Attenuates High Fat and Cholesterol Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia by Regulating the Gut Microbiome and Amino Acid Metabolism.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00885

4) Crataegus pinnatifida: A botanical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological overview.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115819

5) Antioxidant Properties of Phenolic Compounds in Renewable Parts of Crataegus pinnatifida inferred from Seasonal Variations.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.13291


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