ABSENCE OF A HYPOCHOLESTEROLEMIC ACTION OF CHITOSAN IN HIGH-SERUM-CHOLESTEROL RABBITS

In rabbits fed a 0.9% cholesterol-enriched (to 9 g kg(-1)) and 20 g kg(-1) chitosan-supplemented diet, total faecal bile add and sterol levels increased 1.2-1.4 times (cholic acid 5.0 times, and cholesterol 1.5 times) those in rabbits fed a cholesterol-enriched (to 9 g kg(-1)) diet. The serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels of high-serum-cholesterol rabbits were affected neither by feeding with a 20 g kg(-1) chitosan-supplemented diet nor by intravenous injection with chitosan of low molecular weight (c3000) or chitosan oligosaccharides (300-1162) daily. These data indicate that chitosan plays a hypocholesterolaemic action only in the intestine.