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Nutrient Metabolism

Reduced and High Molecular Weight Barley ß-Glucans Decrease Plasma Total and Non-HDL-Cholesterol in Hypercholesterolemic Syrian Golden Hamsters¹

Center for Health and Disease Research, Department of Health and Clinical Sciences, University of Massachusetts—Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854 and ^* Cargill Health and Food Technologies, Wayzata, MN 55391

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Robert_Nicolosi{at}uml.edu.

Consumption of concentrated barley ß-glucan lowers plasma cholesterol because of its soluble dietary fiber nature. The role of molecular weight (MW) in lowering serum cholesterol is not well established. Prior studies showed that enzymatic degradation of ß-glucan eliminates the cholesterol-lowering activity; however, these studies did not evaluate the MW of the ß-glucan. The current study was conducted to evaluate whether barley ß-glucan concentrates, partially hydrolyzed to reduce MW, possess cholesterol-lowering and antiatherogenic activities. The reduced MW fraction was compared with a high MW ß-glucan concentrate from the same barley flour. Concentrated ß-glucan preparations were evaluated in Syrian Golden F₁B hamsters fed a hypercholesterolemic diet (HCD) with cholesterol, hydrogenated coconut oil, and cellulose. After 2 wk, hamsters were fed HCD or diets that contained high or reduced MW ß-glucan at a concentration of 8 g/100 g at the expense of cellulose. Decreases in plasma total cholesterol (TC) and non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) concentrations occurred in the hamsters fed reduced MW and high MW ß-glucan diets. Plasma HDL-C concentrations did not differ. HCD-fed hamsters had higher plasma triglyceride concentrations. Liver TC, free cholesterol, and cholesterol ester concentrations did not differ. Aortic cholesterol ester concentrations were lower in the reduced MW ß-glucan-fed hamsters. Consumption of either high or reduced MW ß-glucan increased concentrations of fecal total neutral sterols and coprostanol, a cholesterol derivative. Fecal excretion of cholesterol was greater than in HCD-fed hamsters only in those fed the reduced MW ß-glucan. Study results demonstrate that the cholesterol-lowering activity of barley ß-glucan may occur at both lower and higher MW.

KEY WORDS: • barley glucans • plasma cholesterol • aortic cholesterol • fecal sterols

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