Resveratrol improves the lipid profile promoted by red yeast rice (monacolin k) in patients with moderate dyslipidemia: An open-label, randomized, parallel-group controlled clinical trial

Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4’-tri-hydroxic-stilbene) is a stilbenic structure polyphenol, initially isolated from the root of the white hellebore and later from the root of Polygonum cuspidatum, a plant used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine. Resveratrol becomes popular only in 1992, when suggested that it could be the reason behind red wine’s cardio-protective effects (the French paradox), from then its popularity increases because in 1997 it was proved as able to prevent colon-rectal cancer in mice (1). Resveratrol based compounds present anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, cardio-protective, neuro-protective, anti-cancer, anti-angiogenetic activities (2, 3). It has been demonstrated that in healthy obese human subjects the treatment with trans-resveratrol reduces glucose, triglycerides and levels of inflammation markers with an effect similar to the one induced by caloric restriction (4). The mechanism of action of resveratrol has yet not been completely demonstrated, and for this reason, recent studies have been carried out in order to point out and understand the aspects that still remain unclear. The induction of the caloric restriction which is thought be at the basis of resveratrol’s multiple effects, has been associated to the increase of cyclic adenosine monophosphate’s levels (cAMP) resulting from the inhibition of type IV phosphodiesterase (PDE4) caused by resveraDepartment of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Section of Endocrinology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy.