Abstract
Green juice extracted from adley (Coix lacryma-jobi L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum LAM.) foliages with a twin roll screw press were dried with a spray-drier and their hypocholesterolemic activities were compared in rats. A part of the adley juice was heated to 110℃, kept for a few days at 85℃ and then dried the lower portion which included the heat-coagulable matters such as protein. The chemical composition of the dried green juice powders (GJP) were different and GJP from adley, alfalfa and Italian ryegrass were relatively high in minerals, nitrogen and crude fat, respectively. In rat trials, in order to make sure the effect of GJP on hyperfholesterolemia, diets containing 10-20% lipids, 1% cholesterol and 0.25 or 0.5% cholic acid with 20% GJP were prepared. As a controls diets containing 20% casein with or without cholesterol and cholic acid were used. The protein content of the diets containing GJP were adjusted to the control by adding casein. The rats fed on the casein diet including cholesterol and cholic acid showed higher plasma and liver total cholesterol and bile acid levels than those fed on the negative control diet. The difference of the plasma cholesterol level was due to the different LDL-cholesterol level. The plasma HDL-cholesterol level was rather reduced by the addition of cholesterol and cholic acid to the diet. Addition of GJP from adley or alfalfa to the high lipid diet was effective in reducing plasma LDL-cholesterol and phospholipid levels and plasma, lever and fecal bile acid levels of rats. Fecal cholesterol increased by feeding alfalfa GJP. Italian ryegrass GJP had no effects on any values determined in the present experiment. The effectiveness of the adley GJP was not due to hexane, ethanol and water insoluble portion of it. Addition of heat-coagulated portion of adley green juice to the diet as to offer the same nitrogen as GJP was not effective but addition of it at the level of 20% of the diet was effective in improving the plasma and liver lipid levels, suggesting the efficacy depends on some substances other than protein. The effectiveness of the addition of GJP to a diet containing low fat and no cholesterol was not found in such a short term experiment of 2 weeks except for a significant increase of liver phospholipid level.
