Effectiveness of a novel nutraceutical compound containing red yeast rice, polymethoxyflavones and antioxidants in the modulation of cholesterol levels in subjects with hypercholesterolemia and low-moderate cardiovascular risk: The NIRVANA study

Background: Red yeast rice supplements are broadly accepted as treatment for dyslipidaemia in subjects without high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Their effect on lipid profile is well known, but few data are available on their effect on endothelial function. Objectives: To study the effect of a novel nutraceutical compound (NC) containing low monacolin K dose, polymethoxyflavones and antioxidants on lipid profile, endothelial function and oxidative stress. Methods: Fifty-two subjects with low-moderate CV risk and dyslipidaemia (according to European guidelines) were enrolled and treated for 8 weeks with the NC. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at the end of treatment to assess changes in lipid profile, endothelial function and oxidative stress. The primary endpoint was the reduction of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Endothelial function was assessed through measurement of rate of apoptosis and nitric oxide (NO) production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with subject's serum. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) were markers of oxidative stress. Results: Fifty subjects completed the study. The treatment caused a significant decrease in LDL (-15.6%, p > 0.001), oxLDL (-21.5%, p > 0.001), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and ApoB. Apoptosis rate of HUVECs significantly decreased (-15.9%, p > 0.001). No changes were noted for NO levels and 4-HNE protein adducts. The reduction of the apoptosis rate was correlated to the reduction of oxLDL. Conclusion: An 8-week treatment based on a novel NC containing low manocolin K dose, polymethoxyflavones and antioxidants improved lipid profile in subjects with dyslipidaemia and low-moderate CV risk. Secondarily, we observed an improvement in surrogate markers of endothelial function that may result from the reduction of oxLDL (Registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03216811)

Flowering time of eleven olive cultivars in a high-density orchard in central Italy

Time of flowering in self-incompatible cultivars should extensively overlap for an effective cross-pollination in olive orchards. This factor becomes pivotal with increasing tree density in wide mono-cultivar blocks. The study considered different positions of the inflorescences in the canopy and along the mixed shoot, in order to check the presence of flowering gradients. The measurements were carried out in 2014 in a young high-density olive orchard (1,250 trees ha-1) located in Marche Region (central Italy) on 11 cultivars (‘Arbequina’, ‘Ascolana dura’, ‘Piantone di Mogliano’, ‘Piantone di Falerone’, ‘Rosciola’, ‘Rosciola Colli Esini’, ‘Maurino’, ‘Coroncina’, ‘Carboncella’, ‘Lea’ and ‘Nostrale di Rigali’) using the BBCH scale. Two one-year-old mixed shoots with average length and nodes were selected in early May in the apical and basal position of the canopy respectively on five trees per cultivar (total: 10 shoots per cultivar). ‘Ascolana dura’ and ‘Arbequina’ showed a high number of inflorescences in the basal and distal portions of the mixed shoot, respectively. In ‘Lea’ and ‘Ascolana dura’ high percentage of sterile flowers was recorded. Along the mixed shoot, the anthesis started from the median and distal inflorescences for all the studied cultivars. We can assume that the median-distal inflorescences had a favourite position compared to those in the basal portion. The flowering phenogram of the 11 olive cultivars highlighted a good bloom overlapping. The full bloom was early in ‘Maurino’ (which only partially overlaps with the next group), intermediate in ‘Rosciola’, ‘Nostrale di Rigali’, ‘Coroncina’, ‘Carboncella’, ‘Piantone di Mogliano’ and ‘Arbequina’ and late in ‘Ascolana dura’, ‘Rosciola Colli Esini’, ‘Piantone di Falerone’ and ‘Lea’. Results presented in this study provide helpful information on how to combine cultivars in order to enhance cross-pollination in high-density olive orchards