Bioactive properties of Snake fruit (Salacca edulis Reinw) and Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) and their influence on plasma lipid profile and antioxidant activity in rats fed cholesterol

Two exotic fruits (Snake fruit and Mangosteen) were characterized by polyphenols, proteins and antioxidant potentials and by their influence on plasma lipids and antioxidant activity in rats fed cholesterol. The content of polyphenols (14.9 +/- 1.5 and 9.2 +/- 0.8 mg GAE g(-1) supercript stop) and antioxidant potential (46.7 +/- 4.7 and 72.9 +/- 7.4 mu mol TE g(-1) supercript stop) in Snake fruit was significantly higher than in Mangosteen (P < 0.05). Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into four dietary groups: Control, Chol, Chol/Snake and Chol/Mangosteen. After 4 weeks of the experiment diets supplemented with Snake fruit and to a lesser degree with Mangosteen significantly hindered the rise in plasma lipids and hindered a decrease of antioxidant activity. Changes were found in fibrinogen fraction, such as solubility and mobility by the number of protein bands detected in SDS-electrophoresis: Chol/Snake differed from Chol/Mangosteen. In conclusion, Snake fruit and Mangosteen contain high quantity of bioactive compounds, therefore positively affect plasma lipid profile and antioxidant activity in rats fed cholesterol-containing diets. Such positive influence is higher in rats fed diet with added Snake fruit.