[Experimental study on tea polyphenols in prevention of hyperlipidemia]

Hyperlipidemia (HP) was induced in quails by feeding high lipid food. Effect of tea polyphenol (TP) on development of HP was observed by feeding various dosage of TP simultaneously and was compared with that of nicotinic acid (NA). The results showed: (1) TP could prevent the increase of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Effect of the group treated with large dose of TP was more significant than that treated with NA (P < 0.05). But no statistically significant difference was observed on the changes of TG and LDL-C between TP and NA treated group. (2) No significant change of HDL-C level was observed in both TP groups and NA group, but both of them could inhibit the elevation of atherogenic index (TC/HDL-C), their effects were similar. It suggested that TP might be a regulator of blood lipid.