Uses and Application Rice Bran Wax,from Octacosanol to Phytosterol.

Policosanol Discovery and Vascular Portection.:

Rice bran wax Extract INCI Name Saccharum Officinarum Extract Octacosanol CAS:91722-22-4.557-61-9.999999-89-5.octacosan-1-ol.Policosanol photo picture image Policosanol Discovery:

Policosanols are a family of primary long-chain aliphatic (non-ring) alcohols found in the form of waxes that are prevalent throughout nature. Sources used in the dietary supplement industry include: sugar cane, rice bran, beeswax, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa and oats. (For physical characteristics, see table below). Plants make aliphatic alcohols from short-chain acetate units within epidermal cells and are thought to be important for plant growth and act as a water barrier.

The origins of research into the cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol dates to 1972 demonstrated that rats fed raw sugar showed significantly lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while refined sugar administration resulted in elevated triglycerides and cholesterol.

Subsequently, Sho identified the dominant components in the sugar cane rind: wax and fatty alcohols and showed that these substances reduced cholesterol in the serum and liver of rats. Since then, many scientists worldwide have focused on the diverse beneficial properties of policosanol.

In several double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, as well as animal studies, sugar cane policosanol has been clinically shown to reduce total cholesterol, strongly reduce potentially harmful LDL cholesterol and raise beneficial HDL cholesterol.

In a 20-month study involving hyperlipidemic subjects, those taking 10 mg policosanol per day (5 mg twice a day) reduced their total cholesterol 10 percent, LDL cholesterol 11 percent, and triglycerides 18 percent. One group of this study consumed a mixture of 10 mg policosanol with 125 mg aspirin daily, and the scientists noted that aspirin potentiates the cardioprotective effects of policosanol.

A pilot study done on subjects with both non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypercholesteremia consuming 10 mg sugar cane policosanol per day provided even better results (except for triglycerides): reduction of total cholesterol 28.9 percent, LDL cholesterol 44 percent, and HDL increases of 23.5 percent.

A recent study done on similar subjects (hypocholesteremics with dyslipidemia caused by NIDDM), however, showed significantly different results with a 20 mg daily dose: reduction of total cholesterol 15.6 percent, LDL cholesterol 27.4 percent, and HDL increases of 17.6 percent. The same study revealed that stronger dosing above 20 mg does not offer any greater benefits, as they observed virtually the same results with 40 mg quantities.

Vascular Protection:

Another way policosanol fights atherosclerosis is by reducing endothelial injury to the circulatory system. This process is initiated by the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, followed by macrophage recruitment to engulf oxidized LDLs. When the macrophages are filled with oxidized LDL, they are called foam cells; these foam cells penetrate the arterial wall and commence the process of arterial occlusion.

A study involving 64 subjects showed that 5 and 10 mg per day of sugar cane policosanol provided strong protection against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is thought to be a determinative component in cardiovascular disease.

Furthermore, sugar cane policosanol protects the arterial wall by reducing the amount of macrophages recruited, resulting in a significant reduction in atherosclerotic lesions and circulating endothelial cells (a marker of endothelial injury). The National Institute of Health guidelines state that LDL cholesterol should be below 130 mg/dl for the general population and 100 mg/dl for heart disease patients.

Policosanols are now undergoing research for their effects on brain and nerve metabolism. Though this research is in its infancy, a rodent study demonstrated that hexacosanol (a 26-carbon policosanol) enhanced nerve generation following sciatic nerve crush. These types of studies are enabling scientists to uncover the biological role of aliphatic alcohols, which had been unknown.

With regard to the ongoing investigations into policosanol's effects on cholesterol, the preliminary results are very inviting. The specific aliphatic alcohol responsible for cholesterol reduction has not yet been identified. Though octacosanol has been shown to individually reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, there is no doubt that the blend of the aliphatic spectrum, as is found in sugar, rice and beeswax, is superior to an isolated aliphatic alcohol. The following three members of the policosanol family have been studied in isolation and shown to possess unique properties. (For the purposes of this article, I have compared the policosanol from sugar cane wax [80-90 percent] to beeswax [90 percent] and to rice bran wax [90 percent]):
Rice bran wax Extract INCI Name Saccharum Officinarum Extract Octacosanol CAS:91722-22-4.557-61-9.999999-89-5.octacosan-1-ol.Policosanol photo picture image

Structure of geraniol and farnesol (a kind of natural pheromones):

Reference:

1.Uses and Application Rice Bran Wax,from Octacosanol to Phytosterol.

Article Information:

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♣ last edit date:Nov 19th 2012 at 14:30