The extract of algae ProAlgaZyme could help treat cardiovascular diseases, explained Smiti Gupta, the PhD assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The study titled “ProAlgaZyme and its Sub-fractions Increase Plasma HDL-Cholesterol via Up Regulation of ApoA1, ABCA1 and SRB1 and Inhibition of CETP in Hypercholesterolemic Hamsters” was recently published in the Journal of Nutrition and Dietary Supplements.

Gupta’s study shows that the algae acts through increasing serum levels of HDL mainly by clearing cholesterol from the arterial wall, rather than lowering levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) known as ‘bad cholesterol,’ which is the main effect of popular medications for the control of high plasma cholesterol levels such as statins and numerous dietary supplements.

“The cholesterol mechanism is crucial to heart disease concerning very few agents increase good cholesterol, but we found that this algae extract does and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol improved significantly,” Gupta said.

The increased HDL level is considered an important therapeutic target for improving lipid profile and reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease, Gupta claims.

“Algae’s biological effect over time and toxic effects, if any, need to be further investigated in a long-term study in an animal model before testing its effects in humans,” she concluded.

Algae are a very large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms that usually grow in or near water.