title: Native and partially hydrolyzed psyllium have comparable effects on cholesterol metabolism in rats.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine whether the storage conditions and the levels of psyllium in the diet modulate its hypocholesterolemic effects. Seventy-five male Sprague-Dawley rats, age 90 d, were randomly divided into five treatment groups and were fed cholesterol-containing diets for 21 d. Diets included 10% cellulose (control); 5 or 10% psyllium stored 8 mo at 5 degrees C (PS5); or 5 or 10% psyllium stored 8 mo at 40 degrees C (PS40). The higher storage temperature caused a gradual decrease in molecular weight of the psyllium, as measured by changes in solution viscosity. Hepatic rates of sterol synthesis were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in all of the psyllium-fed rats compared with control rats [21 +/- 2, 312 +/- 35, 464 +/- 40, 328 +/- 49 and 439 +/- 57 nmol [3H]digitonin-precipitable sterol (DPS)/(g liver x h), respectively, for control, 5% PS5, 10% PS5, 5% PS40 and 10% PS40]. A similar trend was observed in intestinal rates of sterol synthesis, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05) for all treatment groups except the 5% PS5-fed group compared with the control group. Liver total cholesterol and total lipid concentrations were significantly lower in all psyllium-fed rats compared with controls. There were no significant differences in serum total cholesterol concentrations among the psyllium-fed groups, although serum cholesterol levels in both the PS5-fed groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that in the control group (2.66 +/- 0.18, 2.62 +/- 0.15 and 3.26 +/- 0.12 mmol/L, respectively, for 5% PS5, 10% PS5 and control). Serum triglyceride and HDL cholesterol concentrations did not vary significantly among groups. The findings of this study indicate that the cholesterol-lowering activity of psyllium is unaltered by storage conditions shown to cause a moderate degree of hydrolysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, 60612, USA.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Arjmandi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juma
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Daggy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D005519:Food Preservation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009929:Organ Size; D010943:Plantago; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011620:Psyllium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013696:Temperature; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014783:Viscosity; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D014280:Triglycerides; D011620:Psyllium; D002784:Cholesterol