Hypercholesterolemia is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Probiotics can help to improve high blood lipid levels in hypercholesterolemia patients. Lactobacillus paracasei has been reported to have beneficial effects in several subjects; however, there is a lack of studies on Thai hypercholesterolemic subjects. Thus, this study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of L. paracasei HII01 on cholesterol, oxidative stress, and other biomarkers. Fifty-two subjects were randomized into two groups: the L. paracasei treatment group and the placebo group. The study was conducted over an intervention period of 12 weeks of supplementation. The results show that L. paracasei HII01 significantly reduced the total cholesterol (TCH), triglycerides (TGs), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the patients, and increased their HDL, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and propionic acid compared to the placebo group. Moreover, the supplementation of L. paracasei HII01 significantly increased lactic acid, IL-10 and IFN-γ, and substantially decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) at the end of the treatment. The results suggest that L. paracasei HII01 improves the blood lipid profile, reduces oxidative stress, and is beneficial for health among Thai hypercholesterolemic subjects.

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Background: Probiotics are live microbes that when administered in suitable amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics are considered as a complementary and supportive therapeutic agent for the treatment of several diseases and for the management of several disorders. Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Several pharmacological and dietary approaches are proposed and used to improve the cholesterol profile. Aims and Objective: The objective of the current study was to study the effect of probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus paracasei HII01) on high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in hypercholesterolemic patients. Materials and Methods: Ten hypercholesterolemic subjects were supplemented with 12.5 × 109 CFU of HII01 per day for 12 weeks. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after the intervention period. The LDL-C, HDL-C, LPS, and IgA content were assessed by outsourcing and ELISA methods. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, HDL (from 61.14 ± 9.65 to 67.29 ± 7.99 mg/DL), LDL (from 141.57 ± 31.95 to 126.29 ± 36.23 mg/DL), IgA  (446.31 ±262.00 to  939.62 ± 758.52 ng/ml), and LPS (113.53 ± 40.07 to  72.78 ± 32.39 pg/ml) levels were significantly changed in the probiotic-supplemented group when compared to the baseline value. Conclusion: The supplementation of L. paracasei HII01 may help to improve the lipid profile, reduce the endotoxin level and have the impact of immune activation in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Additional studies are mandatory to disclose the favorable effect of the probiotic strain L. paracasei HII01.