Soy Lecithin but Not Egg Lecithin Decreased the Plasma Cholesterol Concentration in Golden Syrian Hamsters

Abstract

Egg lecithin differs from soy lecithin in its phospholipid profile and fatty acid composition. The current study was designed to test whether egg lecithin or soy lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration in hamsters that are used as a model for humans. Male golden Syrian hamsters were assigned randomly to eight dietary treatments lasting 4 weeks (n=10 per treatment) that contained 0.12% (wt/wt) of cholesterol and varied amount of supplemental lipids. The diet groups were: control with no supplemental lipid, 0.05%, 0.5%, and 5% (wt/wt) of egg lecithin or soy lecithin, respectively, and 5% (wt/wt) of soybean oil. Dietary soy lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration compared with control in a dosage- and time-dependent manner. The 5% soy lecithin treatment greatly decreased the final plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol compared with the control (p<0.0001). In addition, the 5% soy lecithin supplementation caused greater decrease in plasma total cholesterol than did the 5% soybean oil treatment (p<0.05), indicating effects beyond the fatty acid composition. The cholesterol absorption measured on day 24, however, was lower in the control group compared with all other treatments (p<0.05). Overall, dietary soy lecithin but not egg lecithin decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration in hamsters via a mechanism other than decreasing cholesterol absorption.