Comparative hypocholesterolemic effects of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris dabbenei) oil, horse oil, and sardine oil in cholesterol-fed rats

• Published in: Lipids Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 391 - 395
• Main Authors: Fukushima, Michihiro, Takayama, Yasuyoshi, Habaguchi, Tsuyoshi, Nakano, Masuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer‐Verlag 01-04-1997; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: alpha-Linolenic Acid - pharmacology; Animals; Anticholesteremic Agents - pharmacology; Body Weight; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase - metabolism; colesterol; Diet; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Docosahexaenoic Acids - pharmacology; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - pharmacology; Energy Intake; Feces - chemistry; Fish Oils - pharmacology; Fishes; Horses; Linoleic Acid; Linoleic Acids - pharmacology; Lipids - chemistry; Liver - enzymology; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Nutrition; Oils & fats; Oils - pharmacology; Organ Size; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; rat; rata; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Rodentia
• ISSN: 0024-4201; 1558-9307
• DOI: 10.1007/s11745-997-0050-z

The hypocholesterolemic efficacy of various polyunsaturated fatty acids was compared in rats given cholesterol‐enriched diets. Capybara oil (CO, linoleic+α‐linolenic acids), horse oil (HO, α‐linolenic acid), and sardine oil (SO, eicosapentaenoic+docosahexaenoic acids) were added to diets at 50 g/kg. The weight gain, food intake, and liver weight in the CO‐fed group were significantly higher than those in other groups during the 6‐wk experimental period. The serum total and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)+intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL)+low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations of the CO‐fed and SO‐fed groups were significantly lower than in the HO‐fed group after 6 wk. The serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in the SO‐fed group was significantly higher than that in the CO‐fed and HO‐fed groups. The fecal neutral sterol concentration in the CO‐fed group was reduced significantly compared with the other groups, and the fecal bile acid concentration in the HO‐fed group was significantly higher than that in the SO‐fed group. The results of this study demonstrate that CO lowers the serum total cholesterol and VLDL+IDL+LDL‐cholesterol concentrations in the presence of excess cholesterol in the diet as well as SO.