Effects of Dietary Linseed Oil and/or Perilla Oil on Liver Lipid Concentrations and Oxidative Stress in Rats

Abstract

Objective: We studied the effect of linseed oil (LO) and perilla oil (PO) diets (rich in α-linoleic acid) compared to a normal diet in rats, and assessed liver lipid concentrations and oxidative stress.
Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 5 weeks in three groups were fed a normal diet for 20 days, and liver lipid concentrations and oxidative stress were then measured in each rat. The groups were divided into a normal diet containing either lard (the control group: n=6), the LO group (n=6) and the PO group (n=6).
Results: Final body weight tended to be lower in the PO group than in the Control group. There was no difference in total food intake between each group. Liver lipid concentrations and oxidative stress were significantly lower in the LO and the PO groups than in the Control group.
Conclusion: These results suggested that diets containing LO and PO caused decreased concentrations of liver cholesterol and oxidative stress in rats compared to the control diet. Linseed oil and perilla oil diets are shown to prevent dyslipidemia and to relieve oxidative stress in vivo.