Abstract
We investigated the effects of phytosterol esters on serum lipids and fecal steroids excretion. Golden Syrian Hamsters were fed diets containing 100 g of control oil, free phytosterol (FPS) oil or phytosterol ester (PSE) oil per kilogram of feed supplemented with cholesterol (2 g/kg feed), for 15 or 29 days. Each oil contained 0.36%, 3.71%, or 3.69% FPS or FPS-equivalent PSE, respectively. The serum total cholesterol concentrations in hamsters fed the FPS diet (216 ± 6 mg/dL) or the PSE diet (220 ± 5 mg/dL) were significantly lower compared with those fed the control diet (239 ± 6 mg/dL) at day 29 (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the ratio of non-HDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol in any group at the same determination point. Fecal cholesterol excretion increased in hamsters fed the FPS diet and the PSE diet compared with those fed the control diet. These results suggest that PSE effectively lowers blood cholesterol, and that there is no difference between FPS and PSE regarding their cholesterol lowering effect.
