title: Preparation of Chitosan and Water-Soluble Chitosan Microspheres via Spray-Drying Method to Lower Blood Lipids in Rats Fed with High-Fat Diets.
abstract: This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of the chitosan (CTS) and  water-soluble chitosan (WSC) microspheres on plasma lipids in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed with high-fat diets. CTS microspheres and WSC microspheres were prepared by the spray-drying technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed that the microspheres were nearly spherical in shape. The mean size of CTS microspheres was  4.07 μm (varying from 1.50 to 7.21 μm) and of WSC microspheres was 2.00 μm (varying from 0.85 to 3.58 μm). The rats were classified into eight groups (n = 8) and were fed with high-fat diets for two weeks to establish the hyperlipidemic condition and were then treated with CTS microspheres and WSC microspheres, CTS and WSC for four weeks. The results showed that CTS and WSC microspheres reduced blood lipids and plasma viscosity and increased the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels significantly. This study is the first report of the lipid-lowering effects of CTS and WSC microspheres. CTS and WSC microspheres were found to be more effective in improving hyperlipidemia in rats than common CTS and WSC.
authors: Key Unit of Modulating Liver to Treat Hyperlipidpemia SATCM and Lipid Metabolism Laboratory of 3rd Level SATCM, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China. suzhq@scnu.edu.cn.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Tao
authors: Hong-Liang
authors: HL
authors: Zhang
authors: Yin-Ming
authors: YM
authors: Hu
authors: Shuo
authors: S
authors: Wan
authors: Zheng-Quan
authors: ZQ
authors: Su