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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Soyasaponins Lowered Plasma Cholesterol and Increased Fecal Bile Acids in Female Golden Syrian Hamsters

Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011

To whom requests for reprints should be addressed at ¹ Food Science and Human Nutrition, 124 MacKay Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. E-mail: shendric{at}iastate.edu

A study was conducted in hamsters to determine if group B soyasaponins improve plasma cholesterol status by increasing the excretion of fecal bile acids and neutral sterols, to identify group B soyasaponin metabolites, and to investigate the relationship between a fecal group B soyasaponin metabolite and plasma lipids. Twenty female golden Syrian hamsters, 11–12 weeks old and 85–125 g, were randomly assigned to a control diet or a similar diet containing group B soyasaponins (containing no isoflavones), 2.2 mmol/kg, for 4 weeks. Hamsters fed group B soyasaponins had significantly lower plasma total cholesterol (by 20%), non–high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (by 33%), and triglycerides (by 18%) compared with those fed casein (P < 0.05). The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol was significantly lower (by 13%) in hamsters fed group B soyasaponins than in those fed casein (P < 0.05). The excretion of fecal bile acids and neutral sterols was significantly greater (by 105% and 85%, respectively) in soyasaponin-fed hamsters compared with those fed casein (P < 0.05). Compared with casein, group B soyasaponins lowered plasma total cholesterol levels and non-HDL cholesterol levels by a mechanism involving greater excretion of fecal bile acids and neutral sterols. Hamsters fed group B soyasaponins statistically clustered into two fecal soyasaponin metabolite–excretion phenotypes: high excreters (n = 3) and low excreters (n = 7). When high and low producers of this soyasaponin metabolite were compared for plasma cholesterol status, the high producers showed a significantly lower total-cholesterol-to-HDL-cholesterol ratio compared with the low producers (1.38 ± 0.7 vs. 1.59 ± 0.13; P < 0.03). Greater production of group B soyasaponin metabolite in hamsters was associated with better plasma cholesterol status, suggesting that gut microbial variation in soyasaponin metabolism may influence the health effects of group B soyasaponins.

Key Words: group B soyasaponin • soyasaponin metabolite

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Ye, M. Renouf, S.-O. Lee, C. C. Hauck, P. A. Murphy, and S. Hendrich High Urinary Isoflavone Excretion Phenotype Decreases Plasma Cholesterol in Golden Syrian Hamsters Fed Soy Protein J. Nutr., November 1, 2006; 136(11): 2773 - 2778. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]