Mechanisms
Cynanchum wilfordii extract lowers CETP alongside cholesterol and apoB in adults with high LDL cholesterol (Nutrients 2019)
Original title: Cynanchum wilfordii Etanolic Extract Controls Blood Cholesterol: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Trial
In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, 84 adults with elevated LDL cholesterol took a low dose (300 mg per day) or high dose (600 mg per day) of Cynanchum wilfordii ethanolic extract for eight weeks. VLDL and triglyceride levels were significantly lower in the low-dose group than placebo. In the subgroup with baseline LDL-C of 150 mg per dL or higher, both doses significantly reduced total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) levels (low dose P = 0.037, high dose P = 0.016 for CETP). The results suggest this plant extract can help regulate blood cholesterol, in part through reducing CETP, in people with markedly elevated LDL cholesterol.
Original abstract
We evaluated the effects of Cynanchum wilfordii (CW) ethanolic extract on blood cholesterol levels in adults with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial, 84 subjects were recruited. Participants were randomly divided into two groups with a low-dose (300 mg/d) or high-dose (600 mg/d) of CW. Levels of very low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.022) and triglycerides (p = 0.022) were significantly lower in the low-dose CW group than in the placebo group after 8 weeks. In a subgroup of participants with LDL-C≥ 150 mg/dL (n = 33), there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol (low-dose, p = 0.012; high-dose, p = 0.021), apolipoprotein B (low-dose, p = 0.022; high-dose, p = 0.016), and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (low-dose, p = 0.037; high-dose, p = 0.016) after 8 weeks of CW. The correlation between changes in total cholesterol and baseline LDL-C levels was significant in the groups that received both doses of CW (low-dose, p = 0.010; high-dose, p = 0.015). These results show that the CW ethanolic extract can regulate blood cholesterol in subjects with LDL-C≥ 150 mg/dL.
Summary written by cetpinhibition.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 19 August 2026. Methods.