Policosanol

General
Surname	Policosanol
other names	Ateromixol; CCRIS 7209;
Molecular formula	Cannot be specified, as a mixture of substances
Brief description	almost white, odorless, crystalline powder
External identifiers / databases
Wikidata	Q419772
Drug information
ATC code	C10 AX08
properties
Molar mass	Cannot be specified, as a mixture of substances
Physical state	firmly
Melting point	78-82 ° C
solubility	almost insoluble in water, hexane , methanol and ethanol ; slightly soluble in chloroform
safety instructions
	Please note the exemption from the labeling requirement for drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, food and animal feed
GHS hazard labeling ; no classification available
Toxicological data	> 5000 mg kg −1 ( LD 50 , rat , oral )
	As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Policosanol is a mixture of eight long-chain aliphatic alcohols obtained from sugar cane or sugar cane wax . Policosanol is also partially obtained from wheat germ or rice . Policosanol is said to lower blood lipid levels and is contained in dietary supplements .

composition

The main component of the policosanol is 1-octacosanol , the other components differ in the chain length of the aliphatic alcohol.

Components of policosanol

Surname	PubChem	n	Molecular formula	molar mass	proportion of
1-octacosanol	68406	26th	C ₂₈ H ₅₈ O	410.56 g mol ⁻¹	63%
1-triacontanol	68972	28	C ₃₀ H ₆₂ O	438.81 g mol ⁻¹	12.6%
1-hexacosanol	68171	24	C ₂₆ H ₅₄ O	382.71 g mol ⁻¹	6.2%
1-tetracosanol	10472	22nd	C ₂₄ H ₅₂ O	354.65 g mol ⁻¹
1-heptacosanol	74822	25th	C ₂₇ H ₅₆ O	396.73 g mol ⁻¹
1-nonacosanol	243696	27	C ₂₉ H ₆₀ O	424.79 g mol ⁻¹
1-dotriacontanol	96117	30th	C ₃₂ H ₆₆ O	466.87 g mol ⁻¹
1-tetratriacontanol	185639	32	C ₃₄ H ₇₀ O	494.92 g mol ⁻¹

Health related use

Policosanol appears to inhibit cholesterol synthesis. An effect on blood lipid levels is controversial. Policosanol has shown a reduction in total and LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol in individual studies with mostly a small number of test persons, which is said to be similar to the effects of drugs from the group of statins . Other studies did not show any effects beyond the placebo effect.

Policosanol is also said to inhibit the aggregation of blood platelets ( thrombocyte aggregation ).

Policosanol is not approved as a medicinal product in European countries. It is advertised and marketed as a dietary supplement , mainly through the Internet . In an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2011, insufficient scientific evidence of effectiveness in the healthy general population had been provided for health claims that support healthy blood lipid levels for policosanol as a food ingredient. With misleading information, foods (food supplements are among the foods) may not be marketed according to European legal provisions ( Health Claims Regulation ).

Trade names

PPG
Lipo Min

literature

Gouni-Berthold, I., Berthold, H., Policosanol clinical pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a new lipid lowering agent. At the. Heart J. 143 (2002) 356-365. PMID 11835043 .

Web links

Stiftung Warentest : "Miracle Remedies" from the Internet - Wild Promises

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b ^c The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals , 14th Edition (Merck & Co., Inc.), Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, 2006; ISBN 978-0-911910-00-1 .
↑ This substance has either not yet been classified with regard to its hazardousness or a reliable and citable source has not yet been found.
^ Entry on policosanol in the ChemIDplus database of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) .
^ MeSH policosanol
↑ Heiner K. Berthold, MD, PhD et al .: Effect of Policosanol on Lipid Levels Among Patients With Hypercholesterolemia or Combined Hyperlipidemia - A Randomized Controlled Trial JAMA. 2006; 295 (19): 2262–2269 Full text (HTML) Full text (PDF) ; PMID 16705107 ; doi : 10.1001 / jama.295.19.2262
↑ Cuban lipid lowering drug at placebo level - study on the dietary supplement policosanol ( Memento from July 18, 2012)
↑ Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to policosanols from sugar cane wax and maintenance of normal blood LDL ‐ cholesterol concentrations (ID 1747, 1748, 1864, 1951, 1954, 4693) and maintenance of normal blood HDL ‐ cholesterol concentrations (ID 1747, 1748, 1864, 1951, 1954, 4693) pursuant to Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, doi: 10.2903 / j.efsa.2011.2255 , June 30, 2011.

[MERCK_Index-1] A ^b ^c The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals , 14th Edition (Merck & Co., Inc.), Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, 2006; ISBN 978-0-911910-00-1 .

[NV-2] This substance has either not yet been classified with regard to its hazardousness or a reliable and citable source has not yet been found.

[ChemIDplus-3] Entry on policosanol in the ChemIDplus database of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) .

[4] MeSH policosanol

[5] Heiner K. Berthold, MD, PhD et al .: Effect of Policosanol on Lipid Levels Among Patients With Hypercholesterolemia or Combined Hyperlipidemia - A Randomized Controlled Trial JAMA. 2006; 295 (19): 2262–2269 Full text (HTML) Full text (PDF) ; PMID 16705107 ; doi : 10.1001 / jama.295.19.2262

[6] Cuban lipid lowering drug at placebo level - study on the dietary supplement policosanol ( Memento from July 18, 2012)

[7] Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to policosanols from sugar cane wax and maintenance of normal blood LDL ‐ cholesterol concentrations (ID 1747, 1748, 1864, 1951, 1954, 4693) and maintenance of normal blood HDL ‐ cholesterol concentrations (ID 1747, 1748, 1864, 1951, 1954, 4693) pursuant to Article 13 (1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, doi: 10.2903 / j.efsa.2011.2255 , June 30, 2011.