EVALUATION OF HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EETECT OF DIETARY LACTOBACILLI
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Date
1997
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
A high level of cholesterol in blood, a major risk factor in the occurrence of coronary heart diseases, can be reduced through dietary means. Consumption of fermented milks have shown potential as cholesterol reducing agents. This study was taken up to verify hypocholesterolemic effect of selected strains of lactobacilli through in vitro and in vivo methods. Four strains of lactobacilli viz. Lb. acidophilus H3, V3 and C2 and Lb. casei I4 were initially tested for bile tolerance, bile deconjugation, cholesterol assimilation and antibacterial activity in vitro. The strain V3 gave a good overall performance in all these tests and was hence selected for the in vivo feeding trials. Twenty seven volunteers having either primary or secondary hyperlipemia as well as volunteers with normal health were included in the in vivo trial. Their blood samples were analyzed for lipid profile twice prior to, during and after feeding 200 ml of acidophilus lassi per day for 20 days, keeping a gap of 10 days between two collections. On statistically analyzing the heterogeneous raw data, a significant (P<0.05) reduction from 210 mg/dL to 194 mg/dL (7.6 percent) in total cholesterol and from 133 mg/dL to 112 mg/dL (15.7 percent) in the LDL cholesterol values was noticed over the study period. Grouping of volunteers on the basis of sex, age, initial cholesterol level, health status and dietary habits included sex groups, males (M) and females (F); three age groups, 20-40 years (A,), 40-60 years (A2) and 60-80 years (A3); four groups based on initial cholesterol level, <200 mg/dL (C1), 200-220 mg/dL (C2), 220-250 mg/dL (C3), >250 mg/dL (C4); four health groups consisting of normal health individuals (H,), hypertensive subjects (H2), subjects having hypothyroidism (H3) and diabetes (H4); and two dietary habit groups, vegetarians (V) and non-vegetarians (NV). A significant reduction (P<0.05) in the total cholesterol values in A1, C2, C3 and H, groups by 11.7, 21.0, 12.4 and 16.4 percent, respectively was noticed. The average serum triglycerides increased in groups Gj, H4 and V. The average HDL cholesterol level remained unchanged except in A, and A2 groups where some temporary reduction was observed. The average serum VLDL cholesterol increased in groups G|, H4 and V. The average LDL cholesterol level showed a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the group G2 from 132 mg/dL to 78 mg/dL (41 percent). Ratios of LDL/HDL cholesterol and total/HDL cholesterol reduced significantly from 3.1 to 2.4 and 4.9 to 4.3, respectively in the Aj group. Trend analysis of the raw data of 27 volunteers indicated a significant trend of quadratic decline in the LDL cholesterol values. The grouped data showed a linear trend of continuous decline in M, F, H, and H4 groups with respect to the average total cholesterol level over the time periods, whereas a quadratic trend fitted with A1, A2, C1, C2, C3, V and NV groups. The average triglycerides level showed a significant linear trend (P<0.05) of increase in A3 group, whereas in A2 and C1 groups, a significant quadratic trend was observed. In the average HDL cholesterol level, a non-significant quadratic trend of decline was seen in A1 group. The average VLDL cholesterol values showed a significant quadratic trend of increase in groups A2, C1 and A3 group, A linear significant (P<0.05) trend of continuous decline in average LDL cholesterol was observed in F and A2 groups of volunteers, whereas a quadratic trend of decline in M, A1, A3, C2, C3, C4, H2, H4, V and NV groups was found. The average LDL/HDL and total/HDL cholesterol ratios showed a significant (P<0.05) linear trend of continuous decline in females and quadratic trend in A1 and H4. The C2 group showed a significant linear trend (P<0.05) of decline in average LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio and quadratic trend of decline in Total/HDL cholesterol ratio. In the group H3, neither of the two trends fitted with any lipid profile parameter over entire study. The feeding had maximum effect on serum total cholesterol and least effect on HDL fraction. In most cases, the significant reduction in lipid profile parameter continued upto 20 days post feeding, indicative of a residual effect. The feedback from volunteers was encouraging.
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Keywords
DAIRY MICROBIOLOGY, EVALUATION