title: Cholesterol-lowering properties of amaranth grain and oil in hamsters.
abstract: Amaranth was an important ancient grain and has current nutritional potential, being high in protein, fiber, lysine, magnesium, calcium, and squalene. Limited, inconsistent evidence demonstrates amaranth grain or oil can lower cholesterol in animal models. In the present study, hamsters received hypercholesterolemic diets consisting of a control, 10 or 20% Amaranthus cruentus grain, or 2.5 or 5% crude amaranth oil for four weeks. Amaranth oil (5%) decreased total and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 15 and 22%, respectively, compared to control. Amaranth grain (20%; providing 1.4% amaranth oil) lowered non-HDL cholesterol and raised HDL cholesterol. Amaranth grain and oil decreased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol by 21-50%; and increased fecal excretion of particular neutral sterols and the bile acid ursodeoxycholate. Amaranth oil (5%) additionally increased the cholesterol synthesis rate, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms; and decreased hepatic cholesterol ester, indicating reduced cholesterol ester availability for VLDL secretion and consistency with reduced VLDL cholesterol. Amaranth thus affected absorption of cholesterol and bile acids, cholesterol lipoprotein distribution, hepatic cholesterol content, and cholesterol biosynthesis. Amaranth grain and oil did not affect these pathways identically.
authors.affiliation: Cytochroma Inc., 330 Cochraine Drive, Markham, ON L3R 8E4, Canada.
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gremaud
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rein
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monnard
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kratky
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burri
authors.forename: Fabiola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dionisi
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambelet
mesh_terms: D027721:Amaranthus; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D010938:Plant Oils; D002784:Cholesterol