Molasses Increases HDL Cholesterol in Rats Research Note

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether molasses might exert effects on serum lipoproteins. In experiment 1, 24 rats were divided into two groups and fed diets containing liquid molasses from sugar beet or sucrose (7.71 g of molasses dry matter or sucrose per kg of diet). The second experiment included four groups of rats (n = l2/group) and was conducted in a bifactorial design, with the factors being molasses (non-supplementation vs. supplementation of 77.1 g of molasses dry matter per kg of diet at the expense of sucrose) and dietary cholesterol (0 vs. 5 g/kg diet). In experiment 1, the ratio of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration tended to be lower in rats fed the molasses diet than in rats fed the control diet (p < 0.15). In experiment 2, rats fed the molasses diet had higher concentrations of HDL cholesterol (+ 26%) than control rats fed diets without molasses (p < 0.05). This effect was independent of the dietary cholesterol concentration. Concentrations of cholesterol in LDL, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and liver as well as concentrations of triacylglycerols in plasma and liver remained unaffected by molasses in both experiments. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that supplementation of molasses is effective at raising HDL cholesterol levels in rats.

Sugar Cane and Sugar Beet Molasses, Antioxidant-rich Alternatives to Refined Sugar

“…Few data are available in the literature on molasses bioactivity in in vivo or ex vivo systems: sugar molasses have been reported to have immunomodulatory activity in human whole blood cell cultures, 46 to raise HDL cholesterol level in rats, 47 and to have inhibitory effects on mutation and nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. 48 To our knowledge this work is the first one evidencing molasses effectiveness in the counteraction of the oxidative damage in cultured cells.…”