抄録
Cholesterol-lowering activity of enzymatic hydrolysate of bagasse alkaline extract was studied in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. The bagasse alkaline extract was found to be vulnerable to the enzymic attack of a-amylase. Thus the alkaline extract was degraded into two fractions: long-chain fraction (polysaccharides) and short-chain fraction (oligosaccharides). The long-chain fraction was active in lowering the serum cholesterol level while feeding the short-chain fraction resulted in a slightly elevated serum cholesterol level. The feeding by gavege of the long-chain fraction 12 h after the meal also was effective in lowering serum cholesterol concentration. These findings were compatible with the concept that the bagasse alkaline extract affect the cholesterol dynamics apart from input-output balance of cholesterol. Possible mechanisms responsible for the cholesterol-lowering activity of the extract were discussed.
