Plasma cholesterol-suppressing effect of papain-hydrolyzed pork meat in rats fed hypercholesterolemic diet

The effects of papain-hydrolyzed pork meat on plasma and liver cholesterol levels were studied in rats fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. In rats fed the low-molecular-weight fraction of papain-hydrolyzed pork meat, the plasma cholesterol concentration, more particularly the VLDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations, were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than in the rats fed untreated pork meat or soybean protein. Feeding with this fraction rather than with untreated pork meat also led to a significantly lower liver cholesterol concentration (p < 0.01) and increased fecal excretion of neutral and acidic steroids. The low-molecular-weight fraction contained peptides with molecular weights of 3,000 or less and had an amino acid composition similar to that of pork meat itself. This study suggests that peptides produced by papain-hydrolysis of pork meat have a hypocholesterolemic activity through their interference with the steroid absorption process.