Prune Fiber or Pectin Compared with Cellulose Lowers Plasma and Liver Lipids in Rats

JOURNAL: Journal of Nutrition 124 (1994): 31-40

AUTHORS: Tinker, L.F., Davis, P.A. and Schneeman, B.O.

The study tested the hypotheses that dietary fiber extracted from dried plums lowers plasma and liver cholesterol compared with purified cellulose in rats with diet-induced hyperlipidemia and that the response is dose dependent. The dietary fiber sources included 6 percent cellulose, 3 percent dried plum fiber, 6 percent dried plum fiber or 3 percent pectin. The nonhyperlipidemic control was fed a 6 percent cellulose diet without cholesterol or cholic acid.

Results showed that groups of rats fed the pectin or dried plum fiber diets had lower plasma, LDL and liver cholesterol concentrations than those on the hyperlipidemia diet with 6 percent cellulose. There were, however, no differences in plasma or liver cholesterol concentrations between the two levels of dried plum dietary fiber (3 percent or 6 percent), or between the groups fed the 6 percent dried plum dietary fiber and pectin. Results indicated that dietary fiber extracted from dried plums lowers plasma and liver cholesterol in hyperlipidemic rats, but a dose-dependent response was not detected. Feeding fiber extracted from dried plums rather than the whole dried fruit product indicates that the dietary fiber in dried plums has hypocholesterolemic activity.