Nutritional effects of cyclodextrins on liver and serum lipids and cecal organic acids in rats

The effect of dietary cyclodextrins on liver and serum lipids and cecal organic acid production was investigated. Male Wistar rats were fed a basal diet and a diet containing 5% of alpha-, beta-, or gamma-cyclodextrin. The body weight gain in rats fed the alpha-cyclodextrin diet was not significantly different from rats fed the other three kinds of diets. The feeding of dietary alpha-cyclodextrin increased total lipid and phospholipids in the liver. Beta-cyclodextrin significantly lowered serum total cholesterol and phospholipid levels compared with the basal diet et al. A decrease in serum triacylglycerol levels was also observed in beta-cyclodextrin-fed rats. Dietary alpha-cyclodextrin significantly increased the weight of cecal tissues and contents, and an approximate fourfold increase in acetate, propionate, and total organic acids was noted, indicating the fermentibility of beta-cyclodextrin compared with the basal diet. It seems likely that the suppression of serum cholesterol levels by alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins might be due to the increasing acetate and propionate productions in the cecum. cecal organic acid, cyclodextrin, serum cholesterol, rats