J. Kayashita et al., HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECT OF BUCKWHEAT PROTEIN EXTRACT IN RATS FED CHOLESTEROL-ENRICHED DIETS, Nutrition research, 15(5), 1995, pp. 691-698
To investigate the effects of buckwheat protein on cholesterol metabol
ism, we prepared an enriched protein extract from buckwheat flour. The
rats were fed a cholesterol-rich semipurified diet containing the buc
kwheat protein extract, soybean protein or casein as protein source fo
r 3 wks. There was no significant difference in food consumption and g
rowth rate among the rats fed three protein sources. Plasma cholestero
l levels were decreased in the rats fed the buckwheat protein extract
diet compared to the rats fed the soybean protein or casein diet. Conc
entrations of hepatic cholesterol were also significantly decreased in
the rats fed the buckwheat protein extract diet as compared to the ra
ts fed other protein diets. These results suggest that buckwheat prote
in is one of the dietary factors available for improvement of choleste
rol metabolism.