Hypolipidemic effect of mustard oil enriched with medium chain fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid.

OBJECTIVE

The hypolipidemic effect of two structured lipids prepared from mustard oil was studied: one was medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) rich mustard oil and the other was polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) rich mustard oil.

METHODS

Thirty-six rats were involved in the study with six rats in each group. Three groups were normal, whereas the others were hypercholesterolemic. Hypolipidemic effects were investigated in both plasma and tissues.

RESULTS

Both structured lipids with similar content of functional fatty acids (about 19%) were fed (20% of diet weight) to normal and hypercholesterolemic male albino rats. After 28 d of feeding, the fat and protein digestibility increased by administration of the two structured lipids in comparison with the control group fed with normal mustard oil. In both normal and hypercholesterolemic condition plasma cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein, and triacylglycerols were reduced by feeding the rats with experimental oils, but the reduction was in lesser amount in rats fed with MCFA-rich mustard oil than in rats fed with PUFA-rich mustard oil and same findings were also seen in hypercholesterolemia. However the HDL levels increased with the administration of both experimental oils.

CONCLUSION

Mustard oil can be enriched with MCFA and n-3 PUFA and these modified lipids exhibited hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects in rats when compared to unmodified mustard oil.