A tree gum used in traditional Indian medicine for nearly 3,000 years could be used to develop powerful new cholesterol-busting drugs.

According to scientists resin from the guggul tree has been used as a Hindu Ayurvedic remedy for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments including obesity and blood fat disorders.

An extract from the resin, called guggulipid, has been used to treat high levels of harmful cholesterol and triglycerides in India since 1987 and is available in health food stores in the West.

Scientists in the US have now unlocked the secret of its success, possibly paving the way to a new generation of powerful cholesterol-lowering medicines.

A team led by Dr David Moore and PhD student Nancy Urizar at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, discovered how guggul extract affects a cholesterol-regulating system in the body.

The extract targets a molecule called FXR which helps control the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.

When the bile level reaches a certain point, FXR kicks in to stop more cholesterol being converted. Cholesterol is then allowed to build up in the blood.

The scientists found that a steroid in the tree resin called guggulsterone blocks FXR activity so that cholesterol continues to be broken down into bile.

Guggulipid is available in US health food stores. As well as lowering cholesterol it is also said to increase metabolism, resulting in weight loss.

Dr Moore, who tried the extract, said: "I was disappointed there. It did not affect my weight."

Source: Ananova: Thursday 2nd May 2002