Mn. Vissers et al., Effect of plant sterols from rice bran oil and triterpene alcohols from sheanut oil on serum lipoprotein concentrations in humans, AM J CLIN N, 72(6), 2000, pp. 1510-1515
Background: Intake of unsaponifiable compounds from edible oils, such as pl
ant sterols, can lower serum cholesterol concentrations in humans. However,
little is known about effects of other chemically related unsaponifiables
in edible oils, such as triterpene alcohols.
Objective: We studied the effects of plant sterols from rice bran oil and t
riterpene alcohols from sheanut oil on cholesterol concentrations in health
y, normolipemic volunteers.
Design: Twenty-eight men and 32 women consumed 29 g/d of 3 margarines for 3
wk each on a crossover, double-blind basis. A margarine based on sunflower
oil was used as the control. Concentrates of plant sterols from rice bran
oil or triterpene alcohols from sheanut oil were added to make 2 experiment
al margarines with the same fatty acid composition as the control margarine
.
Results: intake of 2.1 g plant sterols/d from rice bran oil decreased total
cholesterol by 0.19 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.31, -0.07 mmol/L) and LDL cholester
ol by 0.20 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.30, -0.10 mmol/L). HDL-cholesterol and triacy
lglycerol concentrations did not change significantly. Intake of 2.6 g trit
erpene alcohols/d from sheanut oil did not significantly affect lipoprotein
concentrations in all subjects combined.
Conclusions: We found that 2.1 g plant sterols/d from rice bran oil lowered
serum total cholesterol by 5% and LDL cholesterol by 9% in normolipemic hu
mans, whereas triterpene alcohols from sheanut oil did not significantly af
fect lipoprotein concentrations in all subjects combined. The effect of ric
e bran oil sterols is probably due to beta -sitosterol and other 4-desmethy
lsterols and not to 4,4'-dimethylsterols.