Korean J Nutr.  2007 Jun;40(4):312-319.

Effect of Lecithin Intake on Lipid Metabolism and Antioxidative Capacity in Rats Fed High Fat Diet

• Yang SY
• Hong S
• Sung MK
• Kang MH
• Kim MK

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the effect of lecithin on lipid metabolism and antixidative capacity in 9-weekold rats. Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 249.8 g were blocked into three groups according to their body weight and raised for 8 weeks with experimental diets containing 1% (LM) or 5% lecithin (LH) and control (C) diet. Plasma and liver total lipids, triglyceride, total cholesterol and plasma HDL-cholesterol concenterations, and fecal total lipids, triglyceride, total cholesterol and bile acid excretions were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma, liver, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in red blood cell and liver, xanthine oxidase (XO) activities in plasma and liver, and total antioxidant status (TAS) in plasma were also measured. Effect of lecithin intake on antioxidative capacity was not significantly different among all the groups. Plasma total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were lower in lecithin groups compared to control group, and these three lipid levels of lecithin groups were lowered dose-dependently as dietary lecithin level increased. But liver total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were not different among all the groups. Also fecal total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol excretions were highest in high lecithin groups compared to two other groups. Thus it is plausible that lecithin intake decreases plasma lipid levels through increasing fecal lipid excretions, and may be beneficial for treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia, but has no effect on antioxidative capacity.

Keyword

lecithin; antioxidative capacity; lipid metabolism

MeSH Terms

Animals
Bile
Body Weight
Catalase
Cholesterol
Diet
Diet, High-Fat*
Erythrocytes
Glutathione Peroxidase
Humans
Hyperlipidemias
Lecithins*
Lipid Metabolism*
Liver
Male
Malondialdehyde
Plasma
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Superoxide Dismutase
Triglycerides
Xanthine Oxidase
Catalase
Cholesterol
Glutathione Peroxidase
Lecithins
Malondialdehyde
Superoxide Dismutase
Xanthine Oxidase