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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Healthy Processed Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #295887
Title: Gel coating of edible Brasenia schreberi leaves lowers plasma cholesterol in hamsters (abstract)

Author
item KIM, HYUNSOOK - University Of California
item WANG, QIAN - Jiangnan University
item SHOEMAKER, CHARLES - University Of California
item ZHONG, FANG - Jiangnan University
item Bartley, Glenn
item Yokoyama, Wallace - Wally

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/28/2013
Publication Date: 5/30/2013
Citation: Kim, H., Wang, Q., Shoemaker, C.F., Zhong, F., Bartley, G.E., Yokoyama, W.H. 2013. Gel coating of edible Brasenia schreberi leaves lowers plasma cholesterol in hamsters (abstract). 10th International Conference of Food Science and Technology, Wuxi, China, May 29-31, 2013.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The young leaves of B. schreberi are coated with gelatinous water-insoluble mucilage. This mucilage is a polysaccharide composed of galactose, mannose, fucose and other monosaccharides. Since some carbohydrate gels are hypocholesterolemic, we evaluated the cholesterol lowering properties in male hamsters fed hypercholesterolemic diets containing either 2% gel coat from B. schreberi (GEL), or 1% cholestyramine (CA), or 5% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and compared them to 5% microcrystalline cellulose (control) for 3 weeks. We found that plasma VLDL-, LDL-, and total-cholesterol concentrations were significantly lowered by GEL, CA, and HPMC compared to control. HDL-cholesterol concentration was lowered by CA and HPMC. Body weights were not changed by any treatment but abdominal adipose tissue weight from GEL fed animals was greater compared to the control group. Fecal lipid excretion was greater in the CA and HPMC than the control. Expression of hepatic CYP51 and CYP7A1 mRNA was up-regulated by CA, HPMC and GEL, indicating increased hepatic cholesterol and bile acid synthesis. Expression of LDLR mRNA was up-regulated by all treatments. These results suggest that modulation of hepatic expression of cholesterol and bile acid metabolism-regulated genes contributes to the cholesterol-lowering effects of GEL.