The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of cholesterol-enriched casein (CAS) and blue lupin seed (BL) diets on the cholesterol metabolism of intact (INT) and ileorectal anastomosed (IRA) pigs. For 3 weeks, four groups of six pigs were allocated to the treatments (CAS-INT, CAS-IRA, BL-INT, and BL-IRA). Diet-induced hypercholesterolemia was inhibited by the BL through a substantial decrease in plasma LDL-cholesterol. The BL also reduced liver esterified and total cholesterol, increased hepatic LDL receptor synthesis and HMG-CoA reductase activity, and stimulated intestinal bile acid reabsorption. The neutral sterol output was higher in BL-than in CAS-fed pigs. The bile acid output was lower in IRA than in INT pigs. Surgery also prevented steroid microbial transformation, but it did not influence plasma cholesterol levels. These results suggest that the hypocholesterolemic effect of the BL, compared with the CAS, is attributable to impaired intestinal cholesterol absorption, probably involving increased bile acid reabsorption and higher contents of dietary phytosterols, both factors that reduce the micellar solubilization of cholesterol. Furthermore, according to our data, the contribution of the large intestine to cholesterol metabolism is very weak. Hypercholesterolemia and its implications for cardiovascular diseases is a major problem in human health, and much attention has been paid to dietary intervention as a tool for its prevention and treatment (1). Legumes have shown hypocholesterolemic effects in human and animal models (2-4), but these studies have mainly been done with soybean or its components. Therefore, studies involving other legumes, such as lupins, may clarify the mechanism by which plasma cholesterol is reduced and lead to the identification of new functional foods and/or components.Seeds of several species of lupins have been used as food for Ͼ 3,000 years in the Mediterranean area (5). These bitter seeds had to be soaked in water before consumption, to remove most of their alkaloid content (6). From the second half of the 20th century onward, low-alkaloid varieties of white lupin ( Lupinus albus ), yellow lupin ( Lupinus luteus ), and blue lupin ( Lupinus angustifolius ) have been domesticated and selected (7). In 2004, sweet varieties of these three species were mainly cultivated in several parts of Australia, Europe, and South America (8) and used for feed and food applications. Blue lupin seeds have higher nonstarch polysaccharide (6) and protein contents than soybean, with a similar amino acid profile (9). Their use in the food industry is being developed, and lupins are beginning to replace soybean in products such as tempe, miso, fermented sauces, and cooked snack foods (6). Lupin-based fiber supplements, cookies, bread, and spaghetti, with a high sensory quality, are also reported (10).No studies have been undertaken to test the effect of blue lupin seeds on cholesterol metabolism in the pig, an animal model with a plasma lipid profile similar to that of huma...

Previous studies demonstrated the cholesterol-lowering effect of dietary legumes (mainly soybeans) in animals and humans, but the mechanisms by which they exert this effect are not completely understood. The contribution of the hindgut to this hypocholesterolemic effect is also not well documented. The present work was undertaken to investigate the effect of cholesterol-enriched (2.8 g/kg) casein (C) and raw pea seed (RP) diets on the cholesterol metabolism of intact (I) and ileorectal anastomosed (IRA) growing pigs. Four groups of 6 pigs were allocated to the treatments (C-I, C-IRA, RP-I, and RP-IRA pigs) for 3 wk. Plasma total cholesterol was lowered by the RP diet through a significant decrease in LDL cholesterol. The RP diet also decreased the hepatic concentration of esterified cholesterol and increased 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase activity and LDL receptor synthesis. The biliary total cholesterol and bile acid concentrations were greater in RP- than in C-fed pigs. In addition, fecal bile acid output was higher in RP-fed pigs. The cecum-colon by-pass inhibited cholesterol and beta-sitosterol microbial transformation, lowered the bile acid output, and increased the primary to secondary bile acid output ratio, but its influence on cholesterolemia was negligible. These results suggest a hypocholesterolemic effect of the raw pea diet probably due to increased fecal bile acid output and an increased biliary bile acid concentration.

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SUMMARY:The fatty acid signature of sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus (L.) muscle was used as a tool to detect feeding strategies used during the parasitic marine trophic phase of the species. Adult sea lampreys were collected near the mouth of six Portuguese rivers (Minho, Lima, Douro, Vouga, Mondego and Tagus) and muscle fatty acid profile was characterized. The analysis of fatty acid composition of muscle neutral lipids showed the formation of two groups, indicating that two feeding strategies may have been used by sea lampreys during the parasitic phase, based on the availability of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA and on evidence of phytoplankton/zooplankton and bacterial detritus contribution in the sea lamprey host preferences. Two distinct lipid profiles were observed, probably related to two different trophic approaches, one typical of a top predator of a marine food web with a planktonic support, and the other much more diverse, including the same planktonic markers, together with biochemical clues that probably resulted from a parasitic phase that directly targeted fish that consumed detritus and benthic algae and/or fish from a food web with a detritivorous base. Keywords: Petromyzon marinus, feeding strategies, marine phase, fatty acids, Portugal. RESUMEN: Evaluación dE EstratEgias dE alimEntación mEdiantE la utilización dE pErfilEs dE ácidos grasos En los músculos dE lamprEa marina adulta dE la costa occidEntal ibérica. -Las composiciones de los ácidos grasos en los músculos de lamprea marina Petromyzon marinus (L.) fueron usadas como herramienta para detectar la estrategia de alimentación de la especie durante la fase marina de alimentación parasítica. Se recolectaron individuos adultos cerca de la desembocadura de las cuencas hidrográficas de seis ríos portugueses (Miño, Lima, Duero, Vouga, Mondego y Tajo) y se caracterizaron los perfiles de los contenidos en ácidos grasos en el músculo. El análisis de la composición en ácidos grasos de los lípidos neutros del músculo muestra la formación de dos grupos, lo que indica que las lampreas en su fase parasítica pueden usar dos estrategias de alimentación basadas en la disponibilidad de ω-3 y ω-6 PUFA y en la contribución de fitoplancton/zooplancton y detritos bacterianos en las preferencias alimenticias de los huéspedes de la lamprea marina. Se observaron dos perfiles lipídicos distintos que, probablemente, están relacionados con dos aproximaciones tróficas diferentes, una típica de un predador superior de cadena trófica marina con una base planctónica y otra, mucho más variada, que incluye los mismos marcadores planctónicos junto a indicios bioquímicos que probablemente son el resultado de una fase parasítica de peces consumidores de detritus y algas bentónicas, y/o la depredación de peces de cadena trófica con una base detritívora.Palabras clave: Petromyzon marinus, estrategias de alimentación, fase marina, ácidos grasos, Portugal. Scientia Marina 77(2)