Effect of increasing dietary calcium on lipid metabolism in rats

ABSTRACT

The influence of increasing dietary calcium level from 0.5% to 2.5% on serum and tissue lipids in a low fat, cholesterol free diet containing sucrose or starch with corn oil or ghee was studied in male albino rats for six weeks. The concentration of serum total cholesterol tended to be lower [not significant] with higher calcium level. Liver cholesterol was lower for rats fed starch diets, also, for rats fed sucrose-oil diets. Cholesterol in heart was lower for rats fed oil- starch diet. Triacylglycerol concentration was lower in serum and liver of rats fed ghee-sucrose and higher in liver of rats fed oil- starch diets. The concentration of phospholipids was lower in serum and heart in rats fed oil-starch and ghee-sucrose diets, also, in liver in rats fed starch diets. Total lipids were decreased in serum of rats fed ghee diets, while total lipids in heart increased by increasing dietary Ca level except in ghee-starch group. Percentage of serum HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol was higher [not significant] in rats fed 2.5% calcium, as well LDL-C/total cholesterol was higher for rats fed sucrose diets. Feeding starch diets resulted in lower serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, phospholipids and total lipids compared with sucrose diets