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Cholesterol-Lowering Properties of Amaranth Grain and Oil in Hamsters
Journal article

Cholesterol-Lowering Properties of Amaranth Grain and Oil in Hamsters

  • Berger, A. Manager LipidomicsTM, Cytochroma Inc., 330 Cochraine Drive, Markham, ON L3R 8E4, Canad
  • Gremaud, G. Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, 3000 Bern, Switzerland
  • Baumgartner, M. Nestlé Research Centre, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
  • Rein, D. BASF Plant Science Holding, 67114 Limburgerhof, Germany
  • Monnard, I. Nestlé Research Centre, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
  • Kratky, E. Nestlé Research Centre, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
  • Geiger, W. Bayern Innovativ GmbH, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany
  • Burri, J. Nestlé PTC Orbe, 1350 Orbe, Switzerland
  • Dionisi, F. Nestlé Research Centre, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
  • Allan, M. Biozentrum der Universität Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
  • Lambelet, P. Nestlé Research Centre, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
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Published in:
  • International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. - Hogrefe Publishing Group. - 2003, vol. 73, no. 1, p. 39-47
Nutrition and Dietetics
Medicine (miscellaneous)
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
General Medicine
English Amaranth was an important ancient grain and has current nutritional potential, being high in protein, fiber, lysine, magnesium, calcium, and squalene. Limited, inconsistent evidence demonstrates amaranth grain or oil can lower cholesterol in animal models. In the present study, hamsters received hypercholesterolemic diets consisting of a control, 10 or 20% Amaranthus cruentus grain, or 2.5 or 5% crude amaranth oil for four weeks. Amaranth oil (5%) decreased total and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 15 and 22%, respectively, compared to control. Amaranth grain (20%; providing 1.4% amaranth oil) lowered non-HDL cholesterol and raised HDL cholesterol. Amaranth grain and oil decreased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol by 21–50%; and increased fecal excretion of particular neutral sterols and the bile acid ursodeoxycholate. Amaranth oil (5%) additionally increased the cholesterol synthesis rate, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms; and decreased hepatic cholesterol ester, indicating reduced cholesterol ester availability for VLDL secretion and consistency with reduced VLDL cholesterol. Amaranth thus affected absorption of cholesterol and bile acids, cholesterol lipoprotein distribution, hepatic cholesterol content, and cholesterol biosynthesis. Amaranth grain and oil did not affect these pathways identically.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
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Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/81616
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