title: Effect of coffee oil and its unsaponifiable fraction on plasma cholesterol level in female rats.
abstract: The present study was conducted to identify the cholesterol-raising factor in coffee oil besides the other two well-known diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol. Female rats fed coffee oil for 4 weeks showed significantly higher level of plasma cholesterol (P < 0.01) and triacylglycerols (P < 0.01). Feeding unsaponifiable lipids of coffee oil caused significant decrease in plasma cholesterol; however, increase in triacylglycerol was observed. Rats given beta-sitosterol showed increase in plasma triacylglecerol and decrease in cholesterol levels, an effect similar to that observed with unsaponifiable lipids. beta-sitosterol is the major constituent of unsaponifiable lipids of the coffee oil. These results show that cafestol and kahweol diterpene alcohols are not the only cholesterol-raising factors in coffee oil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: al-Kanhal
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Arif
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003069:Coffee / Q000737:chemistry*; D003314:Corn Oil / Q000494:pharmacology; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D010840:Phytosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D003314:Corn Oil; D002784:Cholesterol