Author(s)

Thomas A. Wilson, Damian A. Barbato, Robert J. Nicolosi

Department of Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences, Center for Health and Disease Research, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, USA.
Department of Clinical Laboratory and Nutritional Sciences, Center for Health and Disease Research, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, USA..

β-Glucans, mostly from oats, have been shown to reduce blood concentrations of total and LDL-cholesterol in animals and humans. After processing, spent brewer’s yeast, a by-product of the fermentation process, contains 85% - 90% β-glucans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of yeast-derived β-glucan fiber on plasma lipids and early atherosclerosis development in hamsters consuming a semi-purified hypercholesterolemic diet (HCD). Animals were fed either the HCD or the HCD containing psyllium or β-glucan fiber from yeast for 12 weeks. Both the psyllium and β-glucan fiber from yeast showed significant decreases in plasma total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, triacylglycerol, and aortic fatty streak area when compared to the HCD. Also, the β-glucan fiber from yeast had significantly less aortic fatty streak area compared to the psyllium diet. Findings from this study show that while both β-glucan fiber from yeast and psyllium produced similar reductions in plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, the β-glucan fiber from yeast prevented the development early atherosclerosis better than psyllium in the hamsters.

β-Glucan Fiber; Plasma Cholesterol; Aortic Fatty Streak; Psyllium; Hamsters

T. Wilson, D. Barbato and R. Nicolosi, "β-Glucan Fiber from Spent Brewer’s Yeast Reduces Early Atherosclerosis Greater Than Psyllium in Hypercholesterolemic Syrian Golden Hamsters," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 5, 2013, pp. 566-571. doi: 10.4236/fns.2013.45073.