CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING EFFECT OF SOYBEAN LECITHIN IN NORMOLIPIDEMIC RATS BY STIMULATION OF BILIARY LIPID SECRETION

The purpose of the present study was to assess the role of the liver i n the plasma-cholesterol-lowering effect of soyabean lecithin, Normoli pidaemic rats were fed on lecithin-enriched or control diets with the same amount of protein. The lecithin diets contained 200 g/kg high-fat commercial semi-purified soyabean lecithin (230 g/kg total lipids as soyabean phosphatidylcholine) or 200 g/kg high-fat purified soyabean l ecithin (930 g/kg total lipids as soyabean phosphatidylcholine). The c ontrol diets were a lowfat diet (40 g fat/kg) and a high-fat triacylgl ycerol-rich diet (200 g fat/kg). The high-fat diets were isoenergetic. The cholesterol-lowering effect of the lecithin-enriched diets was as sociated with significantly lower levels of plasma total- and HDL-chol esterol and significantly higher levels of bile phosphatidylcholine (P C), bile salts and cholesterol. These findings suggest that the liver plays a major role in the reduction of plasma cholesterol, the increas ed biliary lipid being provided by both HDL and the hepatic microsomal pools of PC and cholesterol.