HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECT OF BLUE-GREEN-ALGA, ISHIKURAGE (NOSTOC COMMUNE) IN RATS FED ATHEROGENIC DIET

Blue-green alga, Nostoc commune is rich in dietary fiber. To examine t he hypocholesterolemic effect, the alga or the dietary fibers were giv en to the rats fed cholesterol diet. Serum cholesterol elevation was s ignificantly depressed in those rats. Cholesterol increased in the liv er of rats given the alga and the fiber. The content of fecal choleste rol and bile acid unchanged. Of the dietary fibers, oxalate - oxalic a cid soluble substance (OOSS) found abundant in the alga was most effec tive in lowering cholesterol in the serum. It seems to depress the ele vation of LDL-cholesterol. The mechanism of hypocholesterolemic effect by OOSS remains to be unclear. This study indicated that Nostoc commu ne is expected to be a new dietary fiber source of possible importance in human nutrition.