Effect of dietary chitosans with different viscosity on plasma lipids and lipid peroxidation in rats fed on a diet enriched with cholesterol.

To investigate the effect of dietary chitosan on lipid metabolism, male SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet containing 5% cellulose (CE), 5% chitosan (CCS; high viscosity), or 5% chitosan (FCS; low viscosity) for 4 weeks. The two types of chitosan with a comparable degree of deacetylation had a different molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity. Significantly (p < 0.05) lower plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol concentrations were observed in the rats fed on the chitosan diets. In addition, chitosan significantly increased the fecal cholesterol and triglyceride contents. Although no significant difference in body weight was found among the dietary groups, the rats fed on the chitosan diets had lower relative liver weight when compared with those fed on the cellulose diet. Both of the chitosan groups had significantly lower liver total lipid and total cholesterol contents compared to the cellulose group, although the FCS group was less effective. The plasma and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBAR) values were similar in the CE and FCS groups, while the CCS group had increased liver TBAR values. Although a significant increase in liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was observed in the CCS group, no significant change was found in the FCS group. The observed influence of chitosans with different viscosity on the plasma lipid level, liver lipids and lipid peroxidation suggests that, while the hypocholesterolemic action of chitosans with different viscosity was similar, changes in the liver lipids and liver peroxidation status depended on their molecular weight when the deacetylation degree was comparable.