Cf. Chau et al., HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC EFFECTS OF PROTEIN-CONCENTRATES FROM 3 CHINESE INDIGENOUS LEGUME SEEDS, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 46(9), 1998, pp. 3698-3701
The hypocholesterolemic effect of the protein concentrates (PCs) prepa
red from Phaseolus angularis, Phaseolus calcaratus, and Dolichos labla
b seeds relative to that of casein were studied in hamsters. Male Gold
en Syrian hamsters were fed test diets containing these proteins at 12
% level for 30 days. As compared with casein, the three legume PCs pro
duced significantly lower (p < 0.05) levels of triglyceride and total
and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood serum as well as
lower liver total lipids and cholesterol contents, except that P. angu
laris PC gave a only nonsignificantly slight decrease in the serum tot
al cholesterol. Moreover, only the PC of P. calcaratus gave a signific
antly higher (p < 0.05) level of serum high-density lipoprotein choles
terol. Generally, the PCs of P. calcaratus and D. lablab seemed to be
more potent at lowering raised serum cholesterol levels than that of P
. angularis.