A novel use of chitosan as a hypocholesterolemic agent in rats
1980
Sugano, M. | Fujikawa, T. | Hiratsuji, Y. | Nakashima, K. | Fukuda, N. | Hasegawa, Y.
Chitosan supplementation of the diet at a proper level is effective in lowering plasma cholesterol, apparently without side effects. Tests on rats fed a high cholesterol diet show that when 2 to 5% chitosan was added, plasma cholesterol was reduced by 25 to 30% without affecting food intake and growth. Concentration of liver cholesterol and triglyceride also decreased significantly. At the 10% level, chitosan further reduced plasma cholesterol, but depressed growth. Finer particles of chitosan produced greater growth depression, but the largest particles produced normal growth. Rats fed a 0.5% level of chitosan for 81 days showed no reduction of serum cholesterol concentration, but more cholesterol existed as high-density lipoproteins and less as very low-density lipoproteins. Dietary chitosan also increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, but not of bile acids. No constipation or diarrhea was observed.
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