title: Dietary Aloe vera components' effects on cholesterol lowering and estrogenic responses in juvenile goldfish, Carassius auratus.
abstract: Aloes are now considered a very interesting source of bioactive compounds among which phytosterols should play a major role. The present study is an attempt to investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of Aloe vera associated with its impact on the reproductive status of juvenile goldfish. Therefore, the short- and long-term effects of feeding supplementary diet containing aloe components (20 mg aloe/g diet; 2%) on plasma lipids, plasma vitellogenin, and hepatic estrogen receptor α/β1 mRNA levels in goldfish were examined. Results of GC-MS for phytosterols show high abundance of β-sitosterol in freeze-dried powder of Aloe vera whole leaves. Moreover, a 2% aloe powder dietary supplement was not found estrogenic in juvenile goldfish after either 7- or 30-day treatment, but was consistent in plasma hypocholesterolemic effects following long-term exposure. The present data further support that plasma cholesterol modulation induced by phytosterols may not be related to estrogen-like activity.
authors.affiliation: Centro Universitario di Ricerca per Sviluppo e Gestione delle Risorse dell'Ambiente Marino e Costiero, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Lungomare A. Scipioni 6, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, AP, Italy. francesco.palermo@unicam.it
authors.forename: Francesco A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cocci
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felici
authors.forename: Alberta Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Polzonetti-Magni
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosconi
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006054:Goldfish / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development; D006066:Gonads / Q000187:drug effects; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000032:analysis; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000032:analysis; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D012855:Sitosterols; D014819:Vitellogenins; C025473:gamma-sitosterol