Life Sci 2000;66(5):411-23
Chinese green tea lowers cholesterol level through an increase in
fecal lipid excretion.
Yang TT, Koo MW
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of
Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Lung Chen Tea, a Chinese green tea, has been found to lower serum and
liver cholesterol. In this study, its
dose response and mechanisms of action on cholesterol lowering in
diet-induced hypercholesterolemic
Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. The activities of three major
lipid metabolizing enzymes,
3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-Co A) reductase,
cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and fatty acid
synthase (FAS), as well as fecal excretion of bile acids and
cholesterol were examined. Lung Chen Tea
administration for eight weeks significantly lowered the serum
cholesterol in the 2% and 4% groups. The
activities of the three enzymes were not affected by Lung Chen Tea,
but the fecal bile acids and cholesterol
excretions were significantly increased. These results demonstrated
that Lung Chen Tea lowered plasma
cholesterol by increasing fecal bile acids and cholesterol excretion.
Further investigation is required to evaluate
the exact mechanisms of action of Lung Chen Tea.
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