Hypolipidaemic activity of whole paddy in rats fed a high-fat-high-cholesterol diet: Isolation of an active fraction from the husk and bran

Abstract

Whole ground paddy has been previously found to lower cholesterol and phospholipid in serum, liver and aorta of rats fed a high fat-cholesterol diet. A polysaccharide fraction has now been isolated from the defatted bran and husk of paddy; it has a remarkable lipid-lowering effect. The yield of the material is 0.33 g from 100 g of bran and hull. It contains 2.535 % N and 225 mg of uronic acid per 100 g. This substance keeps the total cholesterol and phospholipid of the serum, liver and aorta in rats fed the high fat-cholesterol diet at a similar low level to that in animals fed glucose. Rats receiving this substance had the lowest level of hepatic NAD-NADP, the highest level of myocardial lipoprotein lipase and a normal blood glucose level after an oral glucose load. Rats fed boiled rice showed lower lipid levels than rats fed unboiled rice.