Sugar beet pulp and apple pomace dietary fibers improve lipid metabolism in rats fed cholesterol

The effect of diets supplemented with sugar beet pulp fiber (SBP, 10%) and apple pomace fiber (AP, 10%) on lipids and lipids peroxides was investigate d in 60 male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into six groups of 10 and a dapted to cholesterol-free or 0.3% cholesterol diets. The basal diet (BD) c ontained wheat meal, barley meal, wheat hulls, meat-bone meal, barley sprou ts, skimmed milk, fodder yeast, mineral and vitamin mixtures. The Control g roup (Control) consumed ED only. To the ED were added 3 g/kg cholesterol (C hol), 100 g/kg dry sugar beet pulp fiber (SBP), both 100 g/kg sugar beet pu lp fiber and 3 g/kg cholesterol (SBP+Chol), 100 g/kg apple pomace fiber (AP ), both 100 g/kg apple pomace fiber and 3 g/kg cholesterol (AP+Chol). The e xperiment lasted 40 days. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (L DL-C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), total phospholipids (TP H), HDL phospholipids (HDL-PH), lipid peroxides (LP) and liver TC concentra tion were measured. Groups did not differ before the experiment. In the Cho l + SEP and the Chol + AP vs. Chol group the sugar beet pulp and apple poma ce dietary fiber supplemented diet significantly (P < 0.05) hindered the ri se of plasma lipids: (a) TC-2.97 vs. 3.69 mmol/l, -20% and 3.01 vs 3.69 mmo l/l, -18.4%, respectively; (b) LDL-C -1.36 vs. 2.02 mmol/l, -32.6% and 1.39 vs. 2.02 mmol/l, -31.2%, respectively; (c) TG -0.73 vs. 0.88 mmol/l, and 0 .75 vs. 0.88 mmol/l; -17 and -14.8%, respectively, and TC in liver (17.1 vs . 24.3 <mu>mol/g, -29.6% and 17.9 v. 24.3 mu mol/g, -26.3%, respectively. S ugar beet and apple pomace fiber-supplemented diets significantly hindered the decrease in HDL-PH (0.79 vs. 0.63 mmol/l, -25.3%, P < 0.025 and 0.75 vs . 0.63 mmol/l, -19%, P < 0.05, respectively) and decreased the level of TPH (1.34 vs. 1.74 mmol/l, -23%, P < 0.005 and 1.37 vs. 1.74 mmol/l, -21.3%, P < 0.01, respectively). Both sugar beet pulp fiber and apple pomace fiber, in rats fed the basal diet without cholesterol, did not significantly affec t the variables measured. Neither sugar beet pulp fiber or apple pomace fib er-supplemented diets influenced the level of lipid peroxides. These result s demonstrate that sugar beet pulp fiber and to a lesser degree apple pomac e fiber possess hypolipidemic properties. This is more evident when sugar b eet pulp fiber or apple pomace fiber an added to the diet of rats fed chole sterol. The hypolipidemic effects of both sugar beet pulp fiber and apple p omace fiber can be attributed to their water-soluble parts. The sugar beet pulp and apple pomace fibers have no antioxidant properties. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.