Abstract

PEREZ GUERRA, Yohani et al. In vitro effects of policosanol (Saccharum officinarum L wax alcohols) on the 5-lipooxygenase enzyme. Rev Cubana Farm [online]. 2014, vol.48, n.1, pp. 139-145. ISSN 0034-7515.

Introduction: policosanol, a mixture of high molecular weight aliphatic alcohols purified from sugarcane with octacosanol as the main component, shows cholesterol-lowering and antiplatelet effects in addition to an inhibitory effect on type I cicloxygenase. Objective: to determine whether policosanol may inhibit 5-LOX enzyme activity in vitro. Methods: effects on 5-LOX enzyme activities were assessed in rat blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Vehicle or Policosanol suspensions (0.6 to 6 000 µg/mL) were added to tubes containing the reaction mix and then absorbance changes at 234 nm were measured. Results: added Policosanol inhibited in vitro 5-LOX activity by 30 %, which was not a significant figure but depended on the concentration(r= 0.992; p< 0.05); it was 1 250 µg/mL. Conclusions: policosanol did not significantly inhibit 5-LOX enzyme activity in rat PMNL preparations, so that it does not seem to be a dual inhibitor of COX and-LOX enzymes. This result differs from that found for beeswax alcohols and underlines the different effects of the mixtures of long-chain fatty alcohols purified from the sugarcane and the beeswax.

Keywords : policosanol; sugarcane wax alcohols; lipoxygenases; 5-LOX; Saccharum officinarum L..

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