Sorghum distillers dried grain lipid extract increases cholesterol excretion and decreases plasma and liver cholesterol concentration in hamsters

Authors

Jia Tse Hoi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Curtis L. Weller, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Vicki Schlegel, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Susan L. Cuppett, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Ji-Young Lee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Timothy P. Carr, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2009

Comments

Published in Journal of Functional Foods 1 (2009), pp. 381–386; doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2009.09.005 Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. Used by permission.

Abstract

Grain sorghum is a rich source of phytochemicals. In this study, male hamsters were fed AIN-93M diets supplemented with a hexane-extractable lipid fraction from sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Diets contained 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 5.0% (w/w) DDGS lipid extract. After 4 wk, the 5.0% DDGS lipids group had significantly lower plasma non-HDL cholesterol and liver esterified cholesterol concentration. Fecal neutral sterol (i.e., cholesterol) excretion was significantly higher in the 5.0% DDGS lipids group compared to the other treatments (66% higher compared to controls). Bile acid excretion was not affected by DDGS lipid intake. Fecal cholesterol excretion was negatively correlated with liver cholesterol concentration (r = –0.97, P = 0.026), and liver cholesterol concentration was directly correlated with plasma total cholesterol concentration (r = 0.96, P = 0.041). Thus, lipid extract of sorghum DDGS exhibited cholesterol-lowering properties due, at least in part, to increased cholesterol excretion from the body and could provide health benefits when incorporated into human diets.