Effects of the physico-chemical properties of three legume fibers on cholesterol absorption in hamsters

The effects of the insoluble dietary fibers (IDFs) prepared from Phaseolus angularis, Phaseolus calcaratus, and Dolichos lablab seeds relative to cell ulose as control on cholesterol absorption in hamsters were studied. Test d iets which contained 5% of cellulose and the three legume IDFs as the sole source of dietary fiber were fed to male Golden Syrian hamsters for 30 days . Compared to the control diet, all three legume IDF diets significantly (P < 0.05) lowered the levels of serum LDL cholesterol as well as liver chole sterol, but only P. calcaratus IDF diet significantly reduced (P < 0.05) th e serum total cholesterol. Moreover, D. lablab IDF diet diet led to a signi ficantly (P < 0.05) higher level of HDL cholesterol relative to the control . In this study, all three legume IDF diets were found to give a significan tly (P < 0.05) higher values of HDL total cholesterol ratios. Linear correl ations were observed between the HDL total cholesterol ratio and the bulk d ensity, water-holding capacity (WHC), and cation-exchange capacity of the l egume IDFs (r = -0.99, 1.00, and 0.95, respectively, P < 0.05). The cholest erol-lowering effects of the three legume IDFs relative to cellulose might partially be due to their indirect influences on lowering the intestinal ab sorption of cholesterol caused by the above physico-chemical properties. (C ) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.