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Clinical data | |
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AHFS/ Drugs.com | International Drug Names |
ATC code | |
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CompTox Dashboard ( EPA) | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | CH3-(CH2)n-CH2OH n=24-34 |
Molar mass | (variable) |
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Policosanol is the generic term for a mixture of long chain alcohols extracted from plant waxes. It is used as a dietary supplement.
Policosanol was originally derived from sugar cane but the chemicals can also be isolated from beeswax, cereal grains, grasses, leaves, fruits, nuts, and seeds of many foods. [1] Plant waxes consist of long chain alkanes and their derivatives, including long chain fatty acids and alcohols. [2] Policosanols are very long chain alcohols with carbon backbones ranging from 24 to 34 carbons. [1]
The first policosanol supplements were produced by Dalmer Laboratories in Cuba; studies conducted and published by that group have found that policosanol is safe and effective as a lipid-lowering agent. However these studies were small, and efforts by groups outside of Cuba have failed to replicate these results. [1]
A meta-analysis in 2005 concluded that human policosanol consumption is safe and well tolerated and is effective at lowering the blood cholesterol. [3] As of 2010, they were marketed as lipid-lowering agents in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Canada. [1] Furthermore, another meta-analysis published in 2018 with 22 studies and 1886 subjects showed policosanol could improve dyslipidemia with raising HDL. [4] The blood pressure lowering effect of Cuban policosanol has been shown in an animal model using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) [5] and a human trial. [6] [7]
![]() | |
Clinical data | |
---|---|
AHFS/ Drugs.com | International Drug Names |
ATC code | |
Identifiers | |
| |
CAS Number | |
ChemSpider |
|
CompTox Dashboard ( EPA) | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | CH3-(CH2)n-CH2OH n=24-34 |
Molar mass | (variable) |
![]() ![]() |
Policosanol is the generic term for a mixture of long chain alcohols extracted from plant waxes. It is used as a dietary supplement.
Policosanol was originally derived from sugar cane but the chemicals can also be isolated from beeswax, cereal grains, grasses, leaves, fruits, nuts, and seeds of many foods. [1] Plant waxes consist of long chain alkanes and their derivatives, including long chain fatty acids and alcohols. [2] Policosanols are very long chain alcohols with carbon backbones ranging from 24 to 34 carbons. [1]
The first policosanol supplements were produced by Dalmer Laboratories in Cuba; studies conducted and published by that group have found that policosanol is safe and effective as a lipid-lowering agent. However these studies were small, and efforts by groups outside of Cuba have failed to replicate these results. [1]
A meta-analysis in 2005 concluded that human policosanol consumption is safe and well tolerated and is effective at lowering the blood cholesterol. [3] As of 2010, they were marketed as lipid-lowering agents in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Canada. [1] Furthermore, another meta-analysis published in 2018 with 22 studies and 1886 subjects showed policosanol could improve dyslipidemia with raising HDL. [4] The blood pressure lowering effect of Cuban policosanol has been shown in an animal model using spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) [5] and a human trial. [6] [7]