Beneficial effects of linum usitatissimum L. on dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in hypercholesterolemic rats

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the effects of a diet supplemented with flaxseeds on dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines, in rats consuming a high-cholesterol diet.

Design/methodology/approach

Male Wistar rats (n = 30) weighing (250 ± 5 g) of which 10 were control and 20 were rendered hypercholesterolemic (HC) by feeding a diet enriched with 1% of cholesterol, for 15 days. After this phase, rats were divided into two groups; hypercholesterolemic group (HC) (n = 10), fed 20% casein diet enriched with 1% cholesterol; and hypercholesterolemic rats fed the same diet (n = 10), but additionally supplemented with flaxseeds (Linum usitatissimum) (Lu) powder, i.e. HC-Lu. Animals of the control group (n = 10) were fed the casein diet. All the animals were maintained on the respective diets for four weeks.

Findings

This study showed that in HC-Lu as compared to HC group, plasma total cholesterol, triacylglycerols and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations were respectively 2.4-, 1.5- and 3-fold lower. Also, the lipid peroxidation was reduced in red blood cells, organs (liver, heart and aorta) and lipoproteins (HDL2, HDL3 and VDL-LDL). A higher superoxide dismutase activity was observed in liver (+61%), heart (+62%) and aorta (+59%), whereas plasma proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1beta and IL-6) levels were decreased.

Originality/value

These results suggest that flaxseeds help to reduce hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Citation

Dali, S., Krouf, D., Mellouk, Z. and Taleb-Dida, N. (2019), "Beneficial effects of linum usitatissimum L. on dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in hypercholesterolemic rats", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 49 No. 4, pp. 777-790. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-10-2018-0269