Sweet Potato Leaf Feeding Decreases Cholesterol, Oxidative Stress and Thrombosis Formation in Syrian Hamsters with a High-Cholesterol Diet

Hao-Hsiang Chang,Yi-Chan Lan,Chiang-Ting Chien,Shiu-Dong Chung

doi:10.3390/life11080802

Hao-Hsiang Chang, Yi-Chan Lan + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/life11080802

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Abstract

Nutritional strategies to reduce hyperlipidemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease are gaining more public favor and medical professionals’ attention. The authors of this study explored the effect of sweet potato leaf powder (SPLP) feeding on the parameters of plasma lipids, reactive oxygen species, and time to thrombosis formation in Syrian hamsters fed with high-cholesterol diets. The animals were separated into six groups: a feeding control diet, a control diet containing 0.1% cholesterol, a control diet containing 0.2% cholesterol, a control diet containing 0.1% cholesterol plus 2.5% SPLP, a control diet containing 0.1% cholesterol plus 5% SPLP, and a control diet containing 0.2% cholesterol plus 5% SPLP for six weeks. The levels of serum total cholesterol (51% increase), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (70.6% increase), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (51.3% increase), and the triglyceride and atherogenic index (LDL-C/HDL-C) significantly increased in the high-cholesterol diet groups. Concomitant 5% sweet potato leaf powder ingestion significantly decreased the lipid profiles, with a 20.6% total cholesterol reduction in the 0.1% cholesterol diet groups, a 17.2% reduction in the 0.2% group, a 48.7% LDL reduction in the 0.1% cholesterol group, and a 30.3% reduction in the 0.2% group, with a consequent decrease in the atherogenic index. SPLP feeding was found to be associated with increased fecal sterol contents, with a 188.6% increase in the 0.1% cholesterol-fed group and a 177.3% increase in the 0.2% group. The SPLP-fed groups had depressed ROS levels, elongated FeCl3-induced times to thrombosis formation, and increased liver superoxide dismutase contents and SREBP-1 protein expression. Sweet potato leaf intake could reduce plasma total cholesterol, LDL, and oxidative stress. We suggest sweet potato leaf intake as a choice of nutritional strategy for hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease prevention.

Highlights

In order to further our understanding of the potential of cardiovascular protection, we aimed to explore the dosage effect of sweet potato leaf (SPL) powder (SPLP)
We evaluated the effect of sweet potato leaf powder (SPLP) ingestion on blood reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity with a chemiluminescence (CL) analyzing system (CLD-110, Tohoku Electronic Industrial, Sendai, Japan), as described previously [19]
The central communicable diseases are estimated to be is caused by cardiovascular diseases [23]

Summary

Introduction

That sweet potato root extract contains polyphenols such as anthocyanins, ferulic, and ρ-hydroxybenzoic acid probably contributes to its effects. Along with polyphenols, which can prevent cardiovascular diseases, scavenge ROS [10], and prevent tumor formation [11], dietary fibers from plants accelerate toxic material removal, and increase the ability for DNA synthesis and repair activity, decreasing cell injury [12,13]. Other studies have shown that SPLs with specific ingredients exert anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-adipogenic effects, as well as promote adipocyte apoptosis in the adipocytes [14,15,16]. These data suggest the beneficial potential of SPL in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

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