Abstract
The present study was designated to investigate the effect of amaranth flour on plasma lipids profile in mice with dietary induced dyslipidemia. 50 inbred mice, males, were randomly assigned into 5 groups. Individual groups were on different diets during 49 days: Control diet (C group), high energy diet (HED), high energy diet with amaranth flour (HED+A), high energy diet with amaranth flour and simvastatin (HED+A+S), and high energy diet with simvastatin (HED+S).
Addition of cholesterol and sugar (glucose) to the diet resulted in significant increase of total (TOT-C) and low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C) with concomitant decrease of high density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C) in HED group. Addition of amaranth into the feed mixture resulted in the decrease of TOT-C levels by 41% (P<0.05) and LDL-C levels by 50% (P<0.05) in HED+A group.
Similar effect was observed in the HED+A+S group where TOT-C decreased by 37% (P<0.05) and LDL-C by 54% (P<0.05). Addition of amaranth into the feed mixture (HED+A group) also resulted in HDL-C level decrease by 27% (P<0.05).
However, inclusion of simvastatin corrected this effect (HED+A+S group). The results showed the ability of the amaranth flour to influence positively the TOT-C and LDL-C levels.
However with respect to the findings related to HDL-C the necessity of rational approach has to be emphasized.