Effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on cholesterol-lowering activity of oat β-glucan

In this study, oat β-glucan hydrolysate, having average molecular weight of 730,000 g/mol which was previously shown to have great in vitro bile acid binding capacity, was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore its in vivo hypocholestrolemic effects were evaluated in rats that were fed high-cholesterol diets. Supplements with β-glucan hydrolysate as well as native β-glucan significantly reduced the levels of LDL- and VLDL-cholesterol in serum and further improved the lipid profile in liver. When rats were fed high-cholesterol diets, supplemented with the β-glucan hydrolysate, greater fecal bile acid excretion was observed, which could be favorably correlated to in vitro bile acid binding capacity. In addition, the hydrolysate was more effective at increasing the excretion of fecal cholesterol and triglyceride than the native β-glucan, showing its effectiveness in improving the lipid profile.