A comparative study on hypolipidemic activities of high and low molecular weight chitosan in rats.
The hypolipidemic activities of high (712.6 kDa) and low (39.8 kDa) molecular weight chitosan (HMWC and LMWC) were evaluated in rats fed high-fat diets. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats in four groups were fed on three high-fat diets with each of them containing HMWC, LMWC or cellulose (high-fat control), and a control normal-fat diet for eight weeks. Compared with HMWC group, LMWC group showed decreased body weight gain, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as decreased liver triglyceride (TG). Fecal fat and cholesterol of LMWC group was lower than those of HMWC group. However, the activities of liver and serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL) of LMWC group were increased compared with HMWC group. The obtained results suggested that hypolipidemic activity of LMWC was better than HMWC, which might be partially attributed to the increase of serum and liver LPL activities.
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
Jiali
J
Zhang
Wei
W
Zhang
Bangoura
B
Mamadouba
Wenshui
W
Xia
D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005243:Feces; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D048271:Chitosan; D008049:Lipase