The influence of dry matter of different alcoholic beverages on lipids, proteins, and antioxidant activity in serum of rats

In many western industrialized countries alcoholic beverages are an invariable component of different diets. In the last couple of years evidence that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to some beneficial changes in lipid metabolism and in this way reduces the morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) has been found. In this study we examined the influence of diets supplemented with different lyophilized wines and beer on lipids, proteins, and antioxidant activity in serum of rats. The investigation was conducted on 60 male Wistar rats, divided into three experimental (EG) and one control (CG) groups, each compromised of 15 animals. The rats of the three EGs were fed basic diet (BD) supplemented with South African (SA) dry red wine (EGI), SA dry white wine (EG2), and Israeli Maccabee beer(EG3). The rats of the CG were fed BD only. During 4 weeks of our experiment the animals of EG3 were fed BD supplemented with lyophilized beer at a concentration corresponding to an intake of 6.0 mL of original beer and the rats of EG1 and EG2 were fed BD supplemented with lyophilized wine at a concentration 2.0 mL of original wine daily. Before and after completion of the trial we performed a wide range of laboratory tests including lipids, proteins, and lipid peroxides. The results of our investigation reveal that the dry matter of red wine and beer are the most effective beverages: they exercise beneficial lipidemic and antioxidant effects by reducing total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and lipid peroxides and elevating high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C)/TC ratio. All used beverages do not effect the level of proteins in serum of the rats. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1998.