Abstract
Physalis peruviana pomace suppresses high-cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats.
Physalis peruviana (goldenberry) is a promising fruits that can be an ingredient in several functional foods. No reports are available on the effect of the administration of goldenberry pomace on different aspects of the plasma lipid profile in experimental animals. According to the chemical composition of the fruit pomace which includes high levels of bioactive compounds, the hypothesis was that feeding Physalis peruviana pomace may have health-promoting and hypercholesterolemic impacts on rats fed a high cholesterol diet (HOD). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding goldenberry pomace on hypercholesterolemia by analyzing the changes in lipid profiles in HOD fed rats. The chemical composition, lipid profiles (fatty acids, tocopherols and sterols) and phenolic contents of the fruit pomace were determined. Generally, rats fed the fruit pomace showed lower levels of total cholesterol (TC), total triacylglycerol (TAG) and total low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as well as higher levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in comparison with animals fed HCD and cholesterol free diets (CFD). Histological examinations of the liver and kidney were also studied. The results demonstrated that goldenberry pomace consumption provides overall beneficial effects on reversing HOD associated detrimental changes.