title: Phytosterols, but not pectin, added to a high-saturated-fat diet modify saturated fatty acid excretion in relation to chain length.
abstract: The main objective of this article was to study how the excretion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) is modified after the consumption of a high-saturated-fat diet that was supplemented with phytosterol and pectin. We present the results of a longitudinal 4-week study on guinea pigs. Diets were supplemented with 0.33% of cholesterol and differed in the content of pectin (three levels) and of phytosterols (three levels). Seventy-two female Dunkin Hartley guinea pigs were randomly assigned to the treatment groups (8 animals/group). Addition of phytosterol resulted in a decrease of lauric (12:0) and myristic (14:0) excretions and in an increase of arachidic (20:0) and behenic (22:0) excretions. Palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0) acids did not show a clear change after phytosterol supplementation. Addition of pectin resulted in a decreased excretion of all SFA, although this was not significant. These results suggest that phytosterols added to a high-saturated-fat diet enhance the absorption of the most atherogenic fatty acids (lauric and myristic) after 1 week of treatment, as compared with the high-saturated-fat diet alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Science-CeRTA, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brufau
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Canela
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafecas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D010368:Pectins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010840:Phytosterols; D010368:Pectins