Is Crocin Effective in Modulating Blood Lipid Levels? An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Dose- and...

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Dyslipidemia, characterized by abnormal blood lipid levels, is a significant global health issue.
• Nutritional therapies, particularly phytochemicals like crocin, are gaining attention for managing dyslipidemia due to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
• Crocin possesses a unique structure that may influence lipid metabolism through various mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the anti-dyslipidemic effects of crocin.
• To assess dose-response and time-response relationships for crocin's impact on lipid profiles.
• To address the lack of recent, statistically powerful meta-analyses on crocin and dyslipidemia.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases.
• The meta-analysis adhered to PRISMA guidelines, including ten studies with eleven results.
• Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of crocin on lipid parameters.

Main Results:

• Crocin supplementation did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements in LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride, or total cholesterol levels.
• No significant dose-response or time-response relationship was observed for crocin's effects on lipid profiles.
• The confidence intervals for all lipid parameters included zero, indicating no significant treatment effect.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence suggests crocin is not effective in modulating blood lipid levels.
• Further high-quality clinical trials with rigorous designs are necessary to definitively evaluate crocin's role in dyslipidemia management.
• Future research should focus on robust methodologies to ascertain crocin's potential therapeutic benefits.