Note. Influence of pulp and natural carob fiber on some aspects of nutritional utilization and cholesterolemia in rats

A comparative study of the influence of two subproducts from carob, its pul p (PUL) and its natural fiber (FNA), on the dietary nutritive utilization w as performed. The products were included in a semisynthetic diet (50 g/kg) and administered to rats. A group of animals which consumed cellulose (CEL) was used as a control. Cholesterol levels were monitored weekly during 28 days in normal and hypercholesterolemic rats that consumed FNA and CEL (sup plemented with sterols 25 g/kg diet). The intake, weight increase and food efficiency ratio (CEA) obtained were not significantly influenced. By contr ast, the fat digestibility coefficient (CDG) of the FNA group (0.97 +/- 0.0 03) was significantly lower than the corresponding CEL (0.98 +/- 0.00) and PUL (0.98 +/- 0.00) groups. Accordingly, the nitrogen digestibility coeffic ients (CDN) were significantly different: CEL, 0.93 +/- 0.003; PUL, 0.91 +/ - 0.003, and FNA, 0.90 +/- 0.003. Serum cholesterol levels were not differe nt between the non-hypercholesterolemic groups that consumed FNA or CEL. Co ncerning the evolution of the cholesterol blood level, the animals suppleme nted with cholesterol showed an increase that was always lower in the suppl emented animals which were administered FNA compared with those that consum ed CEL. This difference was statistically significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) in the fourth week, when the cholesterol levels of the CEL and FN A groups were 235 +/- 9 mg/dL and 167 +/- 12 mg/dL, respectively.