Abstract
This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of the chitosan (CTS) and water-soluble chitosan (WSC) microspheres on plasma lipids in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed with high-fat diets. CTS microspheres and WSC microspheres were prepared by the spray-drying technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed that the microspheres were nearly spherical in shape. The mean size of CTS microspheres was 4.07 μm (varying from 1.50 to 7.21 μm) and of WSC microspheres was 2.00 μm (varying from 0.85 to 3.58 μm). The rats were classified into eight groups (n = 8) and were fed with high-fat diets for two weeks to establish the hyperlipidemic condition and were then treated with CTS microspheres and WSC microspheres, CTS and WSC for four weeks. The results showed that CTS and WSC microspheres reduced blood lipids and plasma viscosity and increased the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels significantly. This study is the first report of the lipid-lowering effects of CTS and WSC microspheres. CTS and WSC microspheres were found to be more effective in improving hyperlipidemia in rats than common CTS and WSC.
Highlights
Chitosan (CTS), a deacetylated product of the polysaccharide chitin, is a natural biopolyaminosaccharide obtained from various organisms, including the exoskeleton of crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, lobsters and the cell walls of some fungi (Aspergillus, Zygomicetes andMucor) [1]
All microspheres were found to be nearly spherical in shape, and the external surfaces of the water-soluble chitosan (WSC) microspheres appeared smooth
Microspheres and (b) water-soluble chitosan (WSC) microspheres obtained by spray drying
Summary
Chitosan (CTS), a deacetylated product of the polysaccharide chitin, is a natural biopolyaminosaccharide obtained from various organisms, including the exoskeleton of crustaceans, such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, lobsters and the cell walls of some fungi (Aspergillus, Zygomicetes andMucor) [1]. The biological properties of CTS, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, antitumoral and antiviral activity, make it suitable for use in biomedical and pharmaceutical formulations [2]. The strong positive charge carried by the CTS makes it easy to bind negatively charged substrates, such as lipids and bile acids [9,10]. The results of some trials indicated that the effect of CTS on lower lipids was minimal and unlikely to be of clinical significance [14,15]. While CTS was believed to be of low toxicity and safe in the diet, some reports suggested that excessive intake of CTS resulted in side effects in most trials, including constipation, nausea, bloating, indigestion and abdominal pain [16]
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