Effects of Dietary Chitosan on Serum Lipid and Lipoprotein Concentrations in Rats

Because the ingestion of some types of dietary fibers has been shown to influence on the lipid and lipoprotein levels, it is possible that chitosan influences on lipid metabolism. In the present study, the effects of chitosan on the serum, liver lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in rat were investigated. Serum lipid level in the treatment groups were decreased compared to that of the control, cholesterol level [128.65 +/- 2.58 (mean +/- SD, n = 72) vs. 173.67 +/- 3.62, p<0.05] mg/dl, triglyceride level [62.83 +/- 2.73 (mean +/- SD) vs. 93.62 +/- 2.64, p<0.05] mg/dl, and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level [108.35 +/- 2.41(mean +/- SD) vs. 156.49 +/- 2.37, p<0.05] mg/dl. In the chitosan treatment group, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol level was increased as compared to the control [187.39 +/- 2.74 (mean +/- SD) vs. 163.54 +/- 2.83, p<0.05] mg/dl. This work showed that the addition of chitosan to the diet of the rats significantly lowered the liver lipid in the treatment groups compared to that of the control, cholesterol level [31.53 +/- 1.26(mean +/- SD) vs. 64.42 +/- 2.38, p<0.05] mg/g, and triglyceride level [38.46 +/- 2.64 (mean +/- SD) vs. 53.24 +/- 2.45, p<0.05] mg/g. When chitosan fed at the 5% level, concentration of the serum cholesterol was reduced by 25.92% and triglyceride by 32.89%. The data presented here indicated possible usefulness of chitosan for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.