Hypolipidaemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects of lupin proteins in a rabbit model

Abstract

The biological activities of a protein isolate from lupin (Lupinus albus) were studied in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Focal plaque development was induced at both common carotid arteries by perivascular injury. After surgery, animals were fed three different diets for 90 d, all with 1 % cholesterol, 15 % SFA and 20 % protein; the protein source was casein (CAS), lupin proteins (LUP) or 50 % CAS þ 50 % LUP (CAS þ LUP). Lower cholesterolaemia was detected in the LUP v. the CAS group at 60 and 90 d of treatment (2 40·3 and 233·5 %, respectively; P, 0·05). Cryosection analyses of the carotids indicated a significant reduction in focal lesion progression in the LUP v. the CAS group (2 37·4 %; P, 0·05). In summary, in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis, a protein isolate from L. albus reduced cholesterolaemia and exerted a remarkable protective activity against atherosclerosis progression. Lupinus albus: Protein isolates: Cholesterol: Atherosclerosis: RabbitsThe growing use of legume proteins in human nutrition for their nutraceutical properties (1 -4) has recently suggested detailed investigations on the possible clinical use of lupin proteins. Lupin beans are characterised by a lower content of antinutrients v. other legumes (5) and by an almost total absence of phyto-oestrogens (6,7) . This last feature, on the one hand, may avoid potential problems that have been recently indicated for these hormone-like components (8) ; on the other, it allows a direct evaluation of the activity of 'proteins', independent of other components. Lupin protein isolates are nutritionally satisfactory (9,10) and have a neutral flavour (11) , thus allowing the production of food items with optimal sensory characteristics (12) .A previous study from our group (7) investigated the potential hypolipidaemic effect of a total protein extract from Lupinus albus. When given to rats fed a classical cholesterol -cholic acid regimen, lupin proteins significantly reduced both plasma cholesterol and TAG levels v. control animals. The cholesterol reduction appeared to be associated with a mechanism shared with soya proteins, i.e. a direct up regulatory activity on LDL receptors (13 -15) .Based on recent data by our group (16) and others (17,18) suggesting an anti-atherosclerotic effect of soya proteins, also characterised by a cholesterol-lowering activity (1,13,15) , the impact on atherosclerosis progression of a diet containing L. albus proteins was tested in a rabbit model of focal lipid-rich soft plaques, generated at the common carotid arteries (19) .

The health benefits of sweet lupin seed flours and isolated proteins

“…The cholesterol-lowering activity of this material was successfully assessed in the hypercholesterolaemic rat model: the total cholesterol change was -11.2% and LDL-C change -38.7% (Bettzieche, Brandsch, Weisse, Hirche, Eder, & Stangl, 2008). The potential antiatherosclerotic activity was tested, instead, in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis (Marchesi, Parolini, Diani, Rigamonti, Cornelli, Arnoldi, et al, 2008). This is an expensive model, very rarely used in dietary studies: small perivascular injuries at both common carotid arteries provoke the development of a focal plaque, whose composition is very similar to the human atherosclerotic one (Chiesa, Di Mario, Colombo, Vignati, Marchesi, Monteggia, et al, 2001).…”

Investigation of hypogycemic and hypolipidemic effects of an aqueous extract of <i>Llupinus albus</i> legume seed in Streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic rats

“…As such, in current management of diabetes, statins are included to control the dyslipidemia. Indeed, hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects of L. albus were demonstrated in high-fat diet fed animals (Fontanari et al, 2012;Marchesi et al, 2008).…”

“…As such, in current management of diabetes, statins are included to control the dyslipidemia. Indeed, hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects of L. albus were demonstrated in high-fat diet fed animals (Fontanari et al, 2012;Marchesi et al, 2008).We therefore set out to investigate the effects of crude aqueous extract of L. albus in non diabetic and beta cell depleted streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic rats. The rationale for using the aqueous extract is because alkaloids and peptides, components already demonstrated to have hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects, are highly soluble in water.…”

Efeito do consumo de tremoço (Lupinus albus) e seu isolado protéico no metabolismo do colesterol em hamsters hipercolesterolemizados

“…O controle da concentração sérica do colesterol ocorre principalmente através da regulação da captação das LDL´s, que é uma das principais transportadoras do colesterol endógeno do fígado para a corrente sanguínea. O aumento da quantidade de LDL´s (mensurado pela sua proteína apoB-100), bem como o aumento da quantidade de colesterol que as mesmas carregam, representam igualmente um quadro de risco para a gênese da aterosclerose por serem depositadas na íntima da parede arterial e ocasionando processos inflamatórios (DIETSCHY, 1997;MARCHESI et al, 2008;SIRTORI et al, 2009). …”

“…Pesquisas recentemente realizadas permitiram observar o controle de hiperglicemia e hiperlipidemia (SIRTORI et al, 2004;HALL et al, 2005;MARTINS et al, 2005;SPIELMANN et al, 2007;VIVEROS et al, 2007;BETTZIECHE et al, 2008;MARCHESI et al, 2008), demonstrando que essa proteína exerce efeito funcional no organismo.…”