Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 40-50 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 45 6 The Role of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Lipid Regulation 6.1 The impact of antioxidants in purple mussels on lipid oxidation and overall health Antioxidants are known to prevent lipid oxidation, one of the primary offenders in the development of most of the chronic diseases. Purple mussels, being antioxidant plants, can prevent oxidative modification of lipids, thereby preventing inflammation and associated complications. Antioxidant activity of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) was observed to repress the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), a crucial step in the development of atherosclerosis (Nègre-Salvayre et al., 2006). Similarly, microbe-derived antioxidants were observed to repress oxidative stress and lipid derangement in high-fat diet-induced models, suggesting that purple mussel antioxidants are capable of yielding similar desirable results (Gao et al., 2023). Moreover, purple mussel antioxidant activity may enhance general wellness through body defense enhancement against oxidative stress. This is supplemented by findings that antioxidants can modulate inflammation and oxidative stress, the major etiologies of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and NAFLD (Dludla et al., 2020; Djuricić and Calder, 2021). Through inhibition of oxidative stress, purple mussel antioxidants may be capable of maintaining lipid homeostasis and enhancing metabolic health. 6.2 The anti-inflammatory effects that improve lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health Anti-inflammatory action is also essential for improvement in cardiovascular health and lipid metabolism. Since purple mussels are anti-inflammatory in nature, they can modulate inflammatory pathways that are generally impaired in metabolic diseases. For instance, anti-inflammatory effects of lipid oxidation products have been shown to modulate inflammatory processes, which may lead to improved lipid metabolism and reduced cardiovascular risk (Bochkov and Leitinger, 2003). In addition, crosstalk between the nitric oxide and lipid signaling pathways indicates the potential of anti-inflammatory nitro-fatty acids to modulate immune responses and metabolic homeostasis (Baker et al., 2009). Purple mussel anti-inflammatory activity can also be credited with cardiovascular wellness through the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduction of oxidative stress. This is paralleled with the activity of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, where the incidence of chronic diseases with increased inflammation, including cardiovascular disease, is reduced (Djuricić and Calder, 2021). Through the inhibition of inflammation, purple mussels are able to enhance lipid profiles and avert cardiovascular events. 6.3 The synergistic effects between the antioxidants in purple mussels and other anti-inflammatory foods The synergistic effects that occur when purple mussels are combined with other foods that are anti-inflammatory can enhance lipid-lowering activities. For example, mixing flax lignans and sinapic acid, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, was shown to regulate lipid homeostasis and inhibit inflammation in mice that were fed on high-fat diets (Wu et al., 2021). It would mean that lipid-lowering and healthy function of purple mussels may be enhanced by mixing them with foods of the same category. Besides, the synergetic collaboration of anti-inflammatory molecules and antioxidants can facilitate more effective modulation of lipid metabolism as well as inhibition of oxidative stress. The cross-talk of NADPH oxidase 4-anti-inflammatory signaling pathways, such as IL-4 and IL-13, gives evidence of how the dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action is capable of managing lipid storage and delivery with beneficial effects on metabolic well-being (Szanto, 2023). Supplementing a diet otherwise filled with other anti-inflammatory nutrients with purple mussels can facilitate the addition of further protection against lipid disorders, as well as overall health improvements. 7 Clinical and Preclinical Evidence of Synergistic Effects 7.1 Animal studies on the synergistic lipid-lowering effects of purple mussels and other ingredients Animal experiments have indicated that mussels, specifically here the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), are capable of affecting lipid profiles. Environmental stress such as glyphosate exposure and temperature were found to be responsible for having a significant influence on altering the lipids and fatty acid profile of mussels. In particular, glyphosate, at various temperatures, reduced the levels of desirable n-3 PUFAs,
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