Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the main causes of death in modern societies
and are strictly connected with nutritional factors such as excessive saturated fat
consumption. An unhealthy diet, infact, is directly linked with the raising up of
the so-called “intermediate risk-factors” which include lipid and glucose dismetabolism,
overweight, high blood pressure. The evaluation of WHO epidemiological data clearly
show marked differences in CVDs mortality among countries and regions with a particular
positive trend associated with Mediterranean diet habits
The artichoke, Cynara scolymus L., is one of the earliest crops cultivated by man in the Mediterranean area. First
discovered in northern Africa, was widely used by ancient Greeks and Romans. Today
the artichoke is not only an edible vegetable of great value (some 460,000 tons/year
of artichokes for food are grown in Italy), but is also used in the preparation of
herbal medicinal drugs that are utilized as antydispeptics, choleretics and cholagogues.
More recently, the total and LDL-cholesterol-lowering effects of artichoke leaf extract
have been demonstrated in animal models as well as in humans. Interestingly, a very
recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in subjects with primary
mild hypercholesterolemia has evidenced a unique effect of a highly standardized artichoke
leaf extract (Pycrinil®) in increasing HDL-cholesterol enlarging the potential health
benefits of this precious plant.
