Effects of starches from four kinds of root crops on plasma cholesterol levels in rats

• Published in: Nihon Eiyō, Shokuryō Gakkai shi Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 141 - 145
• Main Authors: Gejima, N. (Shinshu Univ., Nagano (Japan). Faculty of Education), Soeda, E, Hirota, N, Takazawa, A, Shimada, Y, Izawa, J, Tokuda, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Society of Nutrition and Food Science 2004
• Subjects: BLOOD PLASMA; CHOLESTEROL; MANKIND; plasma cholesterol; plasma triglycerides; RATS; root crop starch; ROOT CROPS; STARCH; TRIGLYCERIDES
• ISSN: 0287-3516; 1883-2849
• DOI: 10.4327/jsnfs.57.141

We investigated the effects of various dietary starches in 1% cholesterol-supplemented diets on plasma lipids in groups of rats given diets that contained 20% raw potato starch, raw sweet potato starch, raw “nagaimo” (Japanese yam) starch and processed POI (taro root) for 14 days. Neither potato starch nor poi had any effect on food intake or total body weight gain. On the other hand, the rats receiving the sweet potato starch and nagaimo starch diets showed decreased food intake and total body weight gain compared with those of the control group (with cholesterol). The ratio of liver weight to body weight was significantly lowered only in the POI diet group. The plasma cholesterol levels of the animals fed the potato starch diet and the POI diet with 1% cholesterol were not significantly reduced compared with those of rats on the control diet (with cholesterol only). The lipid levels of rats receiving the sweet potato starch and nagaimo starch diets were significantly higher than those of the control group rats (p<0.05). On the other hand, the plasma triglyceride levels of all the starch-fed groups were markedly reduced compared with those of the control group (p<0.05).