Effects of dietary broccoli fibre and corn oil on serum lipids, faecal bile acid excretion and hepatic gene expression in rats

To determine the effects of broccoli fibre and corn oil on lipid metabolism, male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed diets containing high (30%) or low (5%) corn oil, in combination with either 7.5% broccoli fibre or cellulose, for 4 months. High corn oil groups had significantly lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides than had low corn oil groups (p < 0.001). Broccoli fibre also lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to cellulose fibre. Faecal bile acid concentrations were higher in high corn oil-fed rats than in low corn oil-fed rats, with broccoli fibre inclusion in high corn oil diets resulting in higher faecal bile acid concentrations. Regardless of corn oil level, broccoli fibre supplementation in the diet resulted in an increase (p = 0.018) in hepatic cytochrome P450, family 7A1 (CYP7A1) expression. High corn oil feeding resulted in reduced expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and increased expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1a (CPT1a) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that high dietary corn oil and broccoli fibre have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. Corn oil lipid-lowering effects may be due to alteration of hepatic expression of genes involved in lipid synthesis and increased rate of cholesterol catabolism to bile acids. Broccoli fibre may also act via its physical properties to reduce enterohepatic bile acid recycling and intestinal lipid absorption, and increase luminal binding of bile acids, resulting in increased faecal bile acid excretion.