Affiliations: Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University,
Seoul 120-749, Korea | Department of Food Science and Nutrition , Kyungpook
National University, Taegu 702-701, Korea | Food Research Center, Samyang Genex Co., Incheon
404-250, Korea
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. T. Park, Department of Food and
Nutrition, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Sudaemun-ku, Seoul 120-749,
Korea. Tel.: +82 2 2123 3123; Fax: +82 2 312 5229; E-mail: tspark@yonsei.ac.kr
Abstract: Both plant sterols and lecithin are used as dietary supplements for
lowering blood cholesterol in Western countries. This study evaluated the
possibility of an additive effect of these ingredients on the regulation of
lipid concentrations and cholesterol metabolism. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were
randomly divided into three groups, and fed one of the following diets for 5
weeks; high cholesterol diet (HCD), phytosterol mixture-supplemented diet (PD,
HCD+0.25% phytosterols), or phytosterol mixture and lecithin-supplemented
diet (PLD, PD+0.15% lecithin). Feeding the PD for 5 weeks resulted in a 34%
and 41% decrease in plasma total- and VLDL+LDL-cholesterol levels,
respectively, and a 23% decrease in hepatic cholesterol content compared to
those for the HCD rats (p < 0.05). These cholesterol-lowering properties of
the phytosterol mixture were also associated with the down-regulation of
hepatic acyl CoA:cholesterol acytransferase (ACAT) activity (p < 0.05).
Addition of lecithin plus phytosterol mixture to the hypercholesterolemic diet
did not significantly affect blood and hepatic lipid concentrations (with the
exception of 36% decrease in hepatic triglyceride level, p < 0.05) as well
as hepatic ACAT activity compared to feeding the hypercholesterolemic diet
supplemented with phytosterol alone. These results indicate that combining
lecithin, at a 0.15% level, with a phytosterol mixture-supplemented diet does
not exhibit an additive effect in regulating hepatic ACAT activity or lowering
blood cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic rats.
