Lipid and glucose utilization in hypercholesterolemic rats fed a diet containing heated chickpea (Cicer aretinum L.): A potential functional food

This feeding trial evaluated the influence of a diet containing heated chic kpea in a dietary induced rat model of hypercholesterolemia in order to ass ess some possible protective and therapeutic effects on lipid and carbohydr ate metabolism disorders as found with other Legumes, Rats fed a diet enric hed with coconut oil (25%) and cholesterol (1%) for 42 days (HH) showed a s ituation of type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia. However, these lipid alterations were improved in the hypercholesterolemic rats receiving control (HC) and legume (HL) diets for 16 days. Moreover, results confirm that the chickpea was more effective than the control diet containing casein in the normaliza tion of triglycerides as well as total and LDL-cholesterol levels. On the o ther hand, the HH group showed a marked reduction in the liver glycogen con tent and Glucose-6-Phase activity (involved in glyconeogenesis) and an incr ease in Glucokinase (GK) activity (involved in glucose utilization). In con trast, the rats receiving chickpea re-established the liver glycogen deposi tion as compared to the HH group. Also, the chickpea intake increased the G K activity as compared to the control diet. The overall results support tha t chickpea intake may be recommended in humans with altered lipid profile s uch as type IIa hyperlipoproteinemia. Additionally, data concerning carbohy drate utilization indicated its potential positive effects in diabetes ther apy and their role as biological active food supplements.