title: Hypocholesterolemic effect of gamma-linolenic acid as evening primrose oil in rats.
abstract: The hypocholesterolemic effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids was compared in male rats given high-cholesterol diets containing either evening primrose oil (EPO, linoleic plus gamma-linolenic), safflower oil (SFO, linoleic) or olive oil (OLO, low linoleic) at the 10% level. EPO with a phytosterol content of 1.47% was found to be more hypocholesterolemic than SFO (phytosterols 0.34%), and rats given EPO excreted more neutral (cholesterol and its metabolites) but not acidic steroids during the first 2 weeks of the feeding. Even when the phytosterol content of EPO and SFO was adjusted to be the same (0.67%), EPO was still more hypocholesterolemic than SFO but to a lesser extent, although fecal neutral steroid excretion was comparable in these two dietary fat regimens. The results indicate a significant hypocholesterolemic efficacy of gamma-linolenic acid.
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D009821:Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012450:Safflower Oil / Q000494:pharmacology; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D009821:Oils; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D012450:Safflower Oil