Cardiovascular and intestinal protection of cereal pastes fermented with lactic acid bacteria in hyperlipidemic hamsters

Abstract

This study was to investigate the potential symbiotic effects of fermented cereal pastes on lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and intestinal microflora were examined in hyperlipidemic hamsters that were fed a high-cholesterol diet. Cereal pastes, fermented with lactobacillus alone or simultaneously with bifidobacteria, that were administered to hamsters, significantly decreased serum and hepatic cholesterol levels and lowered the ratio of LDL-C to HDL-C, when compared with a high-cholesterol diet. There was also a significant enhancement of the excretion of cholesterol, triglyceride and bile acid in the feces. Hepatic LDL receptor and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) gene expressions were upregulated by fermented cereal pastes. Fermented cereal pastes lowered the levels of thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARS), thus increasing total antioxidant levels (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Moreover, hamsters that were fed fermented cereal pastes harbored greater populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), while the count of coliform and Clostridium perfringens was significantly reduced in feces. These results demonstrated that the changes of lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and intestinal microflora in the hamster model can be mainly modulated by fermented cereal pastes. Thus, the results suggest that lactic-acid-fermented cereal pastes serve as potential agents for managing primary cardiovascular and intestinal diseases.