EFFECTS OF SUGAR-BEET FIBER FEEDING ON SERUM-LIPIDS AND BINDING OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS TO LIVER MEMBRANES IN GROWING PIGS

Two groups of pigs were fed either a control diet or a diet containing sugar beet fiber (SBF). After 4 wk, total serum cholesterol and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were similar on both diets. By contrast, the fasting triacylglycerols were 21% lower (P < 0.05) and apparent feed-conversion efficiency was 47% higher (P < 0.0 1) on the SBF diet than on the control diet. Accordingly, the effect of SBF did not appear to be mediated by an impairing effect on dietary lipid absorption. The results suggest that the decreasing effect of SBF on triacylglycerols was due to a reduction in very-low-density-lipoprotein synthesis without changes in the size of particles. The low-density-lipoprotein receptor activity of a liver plasma membrane-enriched fraction was not influenced by the dietary treatment; however, a significant negative relationship between cholesterol concentrations and the receptor activity was observed irrespective of the diet.