Lipids Profiles And Antioxidants Status Of Male Rabbits Fed With Chitosan And Lovastatin

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effect of feeding male rabbits with chitosan or lovastatin on the lipids profiles and antioxidant concentration. Rabbits were fed with chitosan (0.25 g/kg and 0.50 g/kg body weight) or lovastatin (3.5 mg/kg body weight) through a standard laboratory diet for 60 days. Results revealed that diet supplementation with 0.25 g/kg and 0.50 g/kg chitosan and 3.5 mg/kg lovastatin significantly reduced serum cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins, very low-density lipoproteins, and glutathione, compared to the control. Treatment with chitosan and lovastatin in normal rabbits increased the level of high-density lipoprotein compared to the control. However, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), and the concentration of malaldehydedihydrate (MDA) were significantly decreased in rabbits fed with chitosan compared to those fed with lovastatin or the control. Thus, the current study demonstrates that chitosan possesses a hypolipidemic effect and improved the antioxidant concentration in the serum of male rabbits.