Hypocholesterolemic Activity of Desalted Miso in Rats Fed an Atherogenic Diet

Abstract

Effect of dietary miso on the cholesterol metabolism was examined in rats fed the diet containing 0.5% cholesterol and 0.15% sodium cholate. The inclusion of 20% desalted miso to the atherogenic diet significantly decreased the concentration of serum cholesterol throughout the 30 days experimental period. Serum triglyceride and phospholipid as well as hepatic lipid concentrations at the time of sacrifice (30 days) were in no way affected by dietary miso. The ingestion of the miso preparation doubled the fecal excretion of acidic steroids, while it increased only slightly that of neutral steroids. The dietary miso appeared to exert the potent hypocholesterolemic activity primarily through the enhancement of the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acids in rats fed an atherogenic diet.