title: Karaya root saponin exerts a hypocholesterolemic response in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet.
abstract: Different sources of saponins are known to have hypocholesterolemic activity with varying degrees of efficacy. We hypothesize that karaya root saponin would efficiently reduce cholesterol. The aim of this study is to examine the comparative hypocholesterolemic effect of karaya root saponin in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. Sixty male Wister-Imamichi rats were divided into 5 groups of 12 rats each constituting of the following: control group, soybean saponin-supplemented group, karaya root saponin-supplemented group, quillaja saponin-supplemented group, and tea saponin-supplemented group. Compared with the control diet, both the karaya root- and quillaja saponin-supplemented diets significantly reduced (P < .05) serum cholesterol and atherogenic index. Karaya root saponin significantly increased the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/cholesterol ratio, and fecal cholesterol concentrations (P < .05). The triacylglycerol concentration was significantly reduced only in the quillaja saponin-supplemented rats (P < .05). All the tea, soybean, karaya root, and quillaja saponins significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the greatest reduction was observed with karaya root saponin. Highest fecal bile acid concentration was found with quillaja saponin, whereas highest liver bile acid concentration was observed with karaya root saponin-supplemented rats (P < .05). These results collectively suggest that karaya root saponin can efficiently reduce serum cholesterol concentration in rats.
authors: Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Minamiminowa-mura, Nagano 399-4598, Japan.
authors: Sadia
authors: S
authors: Afrose
authors: Md S
authors: MS
authors: Hossain
authors: Takaaki
authors: T
authors: Maki
authors: Hirotada
authors: H
authors: Tsujii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007618:Karaya Gum / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D031990:Quillaja; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013025:Glycine max; D032361:Sterculia; D013662:Tea; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D013662:Tea; D014280:Triglycerides; D007618:Karaya Gum; D002784:Cholesterol