[Fundamental study on the cholesterol-lowering effect of whole turtle egg powder in SD rats]

In order to study the cholesterol-lowering effects of whole turtle egg powder.

Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups according to body weight and serum cholesterol levels. They were fed one of five diets, a chow diet, a high fat supplemented diet (HF) and a HF diet supplemented with 0.75, 1.50 and or 3.00 g/kg BW whole turtle egg powder. After 24 weeks, collecting of the fecal and blood, serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were determined by enzymic methods on an automatic analyzer.

The serum TC levels were significantly decreased in both 1.50 g/kg BW group and 3.00 g/kg BW group compared with the HF rats (P < 0.05). Both 1.50 g/kg BW and 3.00 g/kg BW whole turtle egg powder increased fecal cholesterol, coprostanol and coprostanone excretion as well as total bile acids.

The whole turtle egg powder lowered serum cholesterol by increasing the fecal steroids and turtle bile acids excretion.