A novel use of chitosan as a hypocholesterolemic agent in rats

Abstract

A series of experiments with male rats clearly demonstrated the hypocholesterolemic activity of dietary chitosan. On feeding a high cholesterol diet for 20 days, addition of 2 to 5% chitosan resulted in a significant reduction, by 25 to 30%, of plasma cholesterol without influencing food intake and growth. The concentration of liver cholesterol and triglyceride also decreased significantly. Plasma, but not liver cholesterol-lowering effect, was roughly comparable with that of cholestyramine. Chitosan at the 10% level further reduced plasma cholesterol, but depressed growth. Also, finer chitosan particles tended to restrain growth even at the 2% level. In rats fed a cholesterol-free diet containing 0.5% chitosan for 81 days, the concentration of serum cholesterol was the same with that of the corresponding control, but relatively more cholesterol existed as high-density lipiproteins and less as very low-density lipoproteins. Dietary chitosan increased fecal excretion of cholesterol, both exogenous and endogenous, while that of bile acids remained unchanged. There was no constipation or diarrhea. A proper supplementation of chitosan to the diet seemed to be effective in lowering plasma cholesterol.

Dietary effects of chitosan and buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum esculentum</i>) on the performance and serum lipid profile of broiler chicks

“…Results in the present study agree with those findings as no detrimental effects of chitosan at up to 500 mg/kg were recorded. Cholesterol-lowering effects of chitosan were observed by earlier investigators (Sugano et al, 1980;Hirano et al, 1990;Ikeda et al, 1993;Maezaki et al, 1993;Koide, 1998;). However, lower bodyweights and feed intakes in broilers have been reported when higher doses of chitosan were supplied (Razdan et al, 1997).…”

“…At a dose of 3 -6 g/day, ingested as biscuit by adult healthy human males for two weeks, chitosan decreased total serum cholesterol concentration significantly (188 mg/dL to 177 mg/dL) and increased serum HDL-cholesterol concentration (51 mg/dL to 56 mg/dL) (Maezaki et al, 1993). When administered to animals, chitosan reduced plasma cholesterol concentrations (Sugano et al, 1980;Hirano et al, 1990;Ikeda et al, 1993). In addition, chitosan has been reported to have antimicrobial properties (Goy et al, 2009).…”

Chitosan decreases total cholesterol in women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

“…As capsulated particles of chitosan move into the duodenum, the HCl-layer becomes diluted and the chitosan particles form agglomerates with fatty acids and cholesterol, thus reducing lipid absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Studies in primates have shown that chitosan can increase the amount of fat eliminated in the stool (Sugano et al, 1980;Ebihara & Schneeman, 1989). This finding led to the use of chitosan as a dietary supplement for weight loss or serum cholesterol reduction.…”

Accelerating Effect of Chitosan Intake on Urinary Calcium Excretion by Rats

“…It has been reported that chitosan has such biological actions as suppressing serum cholesterol elevation 1) and inhibiting lipid absorption. 2 ) It is also known that chitosan, an amino group derived from glucosamine which is a constituent of saccharide, binds jointly with heavy metal ions.…”