The effects of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) in chronic stable angina on serum biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and lipid profile.

OBJECTIVE

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death worldwide. Chronic stable angina (CSA) is the primary sign of CAD. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a substantial role in pathogenesis and progression of CAD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of powdered Melissa officinalis (MO) on biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid profile in patients with CSA.

METHODS

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in 80 patients with CSA. The subjects were randomly assigned to obtaineither oral MO 3 g/d (n=40) or placebo (n=40) for eight weeks. Anthropometric indices, biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid profile were evaluated at baseline and post-intervention.

RESULTS

The mean serum concentrations of triglycerides, total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and high sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) were lower in the intervention group compared with placebo (p<0.01) post intervention. Moreover, the mean serum concentration of paraxonase 1 (PNO1) and HDL-c were higher (p<0.001) in the intervention group compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral MO supplementation improves the lipid profile, MDA, hs-CRP, and PNO1 in patients with CSA.