title: A comparison of the impact of amaranth flour and squalene on plasma cholesterol in mice with diet-induced dyslipidemia.
abstract: Amaranth was identified as a possible component of an anti-sclerotic diet. To date, particular substances responsible for this effect have not been exactly specified. Squalene, which is contained in amaranth, could be responsible for this effect. However, there are also other potential substances and the hypolipidemic effect of amaranth can be caused by a synergistic effect of several components. This study investigated and compared the impact of amaranth flour and squalene on the total cholesterol (CHOL(TOT)) and LDL cholesterol (CHOL(LDL)) levels in mice with dyslipidemia induced by a cholesterol- and sugar-rich diet. The experiment included 40 inbred mice (C57Bl/6J SPF). After a 7-days acclimatization period, animals were divided into four groups by random. Individual groups were fed different diets for 49 days: control (group C), high energy diet (group HED), high energy diet with amaranth flour (group HED+A) and high energy diet with squalene (group HED+S). The sugar- and cholesterol-rich diet in HED resulted in the significant increase in the levels of CHOL(TOT) by 125% (P < 0.05) and CHOL(LDL) by 304% (P < 0.05), and at the same time in a decrease of HDL cholesterol (CHOL(HDL)) levels by 58% (P < 0.05) compared to group C. To the contrary, amaranth flour enriched diet in group HED+A led to a decrease of CHOL(TOT) levels by 33% (P < 0.05) and CHOL(LDL) by 37% (P < 0.05), compared to HED. Both, amaranth flour and squalene, had a positive impact on CHOL(HDL) levels. Compared to group HED, there was a 47% increase in HED+A and a 60% increase in HED+S. Results proved the favorable impact of amaranth flour on the levels of total cholesterol CHOL(TOT) and also on CHOL(LDL). Furthermore, the results imply that amaranth flour contains besides squalene other substances, which can actively participate in its hypolipidemic effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chmelík
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kotolová
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Piekutowská
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horská
authors.forename: Ladislava
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bartosová
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suchý
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kollár
mesh_terms: D027721:Amaranthus / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002149:Energy Intake; D005433:Flour; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013185:Squalene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013185:Squalene; D002784:Cholesterol