EFFECT OF FEEDING THE SHELL FISH (CORBICULA-JAPONICA) ON LIPID-METABOLISM IN THE RAT

Rats were maintained for 2 weeks on 3 different diets; a basal diet, one containing 0.1% cholate, and one containing 0.1% cholesterol and 0.1% cholate. Each dietary group was further divided into subgroups whose diet contained 0, 5 or 10% (dry weight) of minced corbicula (Corbicula japonica Prime). Feeding corbicula significantly reduced the increase of cholesterol levels in rats fed the cholesterol diet. Though corbicula contains several sterols, sterols other than cholesterol were almost not absorbed. Serum and liver triglyceride levels were significantly reduced by feeding corbicula meat in all the dietary groups. Activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were also markedly reduced by feeding corbicula. The results suggest that corbicula is a hypolipidemic food. © 1979.