Certain species of citrus extracts effectively control dyslipidemia, reducing total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides while increasing HDL, primarily due to their rich antioxidant composition.
The methodology involved systematic surveys of research databases including PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, and SciELO. The team utilised several descriptors like dyslipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemias, lipoproteins, and cholesterol. From the initial findings, 958 articles were identified and after critical assessment, 26 studies were selected that showed the efficacy of certain species extracts in controlling dyslipidemia. Of these, 25 studies were incorporated into a meta-analysis conducted using R software. Assessment of potential bias was carried out as per Cochrane methodology and ARRIVE guidelines for preclinical and clinical studies respectively.
From the total number of collected studies, the results consistently showed the effectiveness of these species extracts on dyslipidemia, reducing total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides while elevating HDL levels. The active composition of these extracts, particularly rich in flavonoids which are powerful antioxidants, was identified as the crucial factor. The bias risk across all studies was found to be critically low to moderate. Nevertheless, the high heterogeneity values noticed across the studies suggest some inconsistency in the evidence provided.
