INFLUENCE OF DIETARY EGGURT ON SERUM CHOLESTEROL LEVEL IN RATS (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to determine the values of serum cholesterol. The
effect of eggurt on the serum cholesterol were investigated in rats, assigned to five
dietary treatments for 63 days: 1) Commercial rodent chow; 2) Commercial rodent
chow plus a 10% of fat-enriched; 3) Commercial rodent chow plus a 10% of fat-
enriched and non fermented milk; 4) Commercial rodent chow plus a 10% of fat-
enriched and eggurt; and 5) Commercial rodent chow plus a 10% of fat-enriched and
eggurt made from milk inoculated with starter culture of Streptococcus thermophilus
and Lactabacillus delbruechkii spp. bulgaricus. The two-way analysis of variance
was used to determine variation within and between dietary periods for serum
cholesterol. The Duncan's multiple range tests for mean separation was used to
determine the statistical significance within and between dietary periods of the same
variables. There was no significant change in serum cholesterol in rats fed with milk
fermented by 3% starter culture (Eggurt 3%) along with milk fermented by 6%
starter culture (Eggurt 6%) for 63 days. The mean values for serum cholesterol
concentrations was significantly decreased 13.25% and 16.06% when eggurt 3% and eggurt 6% respectively was fed on the day 63. The hypocholesterolemic effect
produce by Lactobacillus delbmchkii spp. bulgaricus might be considered as
indirect evidence of the permanence of the Lactobacilli in the gut.