title: A novel use of chitosan as a hypocholesterolemic agent in rats.
abstract: A series of experiments with male rats clearly demonstrated the hypocholesterolemic activity of dietary chitosan. On feeding a high cholesterol diet for 20 days, addition of 2 to 5% chitosan resulted in a significant reduction, by 25 to 30%, of plasma cholesterol without influencing food intake and growth. The concentration of liver cholesterol and triglyceride also decreased significantly. Plasma, but not liver cholesterol-lowering effect, was roughly comparable with that of cholestyramine. Chitosan at the 10% level further reduced plasma cholesterol, but depressed growth. Also, finer chitosan particles tended to restrain growth even at the 2% level. In rats fed a cholesterol-free diet containing 0.5% chitosan for 81 days, the concentration of serum cholesterol was the same with that of the corresponding control, but relatively more cholesterol existed as high-density lipiproteins and less as very low-density lipoproteins. Dietary chitosan increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, both exogenous and endogenous, while that of bile acids remained unchanged. There was no constipation or diarrhea. A proper supplementation of chitosan to the diet seemed to be effective in lowering plasma cholesterol.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002686:Chitin / Q000494:pharmacology; D048271:Chitosan; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010316:Particle Size; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013256:Steroids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan; D002784:Cholesterol