Abstract

Large intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid alters antioxidant/oxidant balance in hypercholesterolemic rats

Author(s): Gamal El-din I.Harisa

This study aimed to investigate the effect of flaxseed oil (FO) alone or with lipoic acid (LA) on oxidative stress status in rats fed on high cholesterol diet (HCD). Thirty six male Wistar albino rats were used in this study divided into 6 groups. The rats were received either normal diet or HCD with or without FO, LA or combination of FO and LA. These results revealed that HCD feeding of rats caused significant decrease of liver glutathione and protein thiols content by 58% and 47% respectively, while glutathione peroxidase activity was increased by 122%. Supplementation of rats with FO (1 g/kg body weight) keeps these parameters at values similar that of control rats. On another hand FO at dose (2 g/kg body weight) not ameliorates these parameters as compared with the control. HCD supplementation elicit significantly increase of serumprotein carbonyl and malondialdehyde by 287% and 127%. While values of these parameters in rats received LA and FO beside HCD near that of control ones. It concluded that large dose of oil rich with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may be provoking oxidative stress. Administration of antioxidants like LA is necessary during the lipids lowering therapy particularly with PUFAs.