Effect of synbiotic biscuit on decreasing cholesterol levels in Wistar rats

Abstract

Synbiotic biscuits made of a composite flour (banana corm, sweet potatoes, and black soybean) contain dietary fiber, inulin, and fructo-ologosaccharide as prebiotic and Lactobacillus acidophilus as a probiotic. Prebiotic and probiotic have the ability on decreasing cholesterol level, thus further research is needed to prove the effect on cholesterol level. The aim of this research was to evaluate the difference effect of synbiotic biscuit’s amount of decreasing cholesterol levels in Wistar rats. This research used a true experimental method with descriptive explanatory research, then continued by paired t-test analysis and regression-correlation analysis. The experiment consisted of 4 treatment: A (fed standard food), B (fed simvastatin 0.018 mg/200g body weight), C (fed 5 gram of synbiotic biscuit in 10 mL aquadest), and D (fed 10 gram of synbiotic biscuit in 10 mL aquadest). The result showed that feeding 5 g of synbiotic biscuit in 10 mL aquadest gives an effect on L. acidophilus growth by 97.1%. Feeding 10 gram of synbiotic biscuit in 10 mL aquadest give an effect on L. acidophilus growth by 95.7%, decreasing total cholesterol by 45.12% and LDL by 31.11%. Feeding 0.018 mg/200g BW of simvastatin give an effect on decreasing bodyweight by 20.24% and increasing HDL by 51.53%.