Decrease of plasma cholesterol with the marine microalga dunaliella tertiolecta in hypercholesterolemic rats

Abstract

Female Sprague-Dawley rats, whose plasma cholesterol level had been previously increased, were fed on a diet including 22% biomass of the marine microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta. This diet was compared to two control diets, one of casein and the other of soy flour. After 14 days of feeding, the group fed the microalgal diet exhibited the largest decrease in the plasma cholesterol concentration. The plasma cholesterol level in the group fed the microalgal diet was 45.2% of that in the control group (casein diet) and 28.4% lower than the group fed the soy flour diet. These results suggest that the marine microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta has marked anti-hypercholesterolemic activity when incorporated into the diet.