Use of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes to decrease plasma cholesterol concentration in hypercholesterolemic rabbits and the cholesterol content of fermented meats
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Abstract
The effects of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, a cholesterol reducing bacteria, on plasma cholesterol homeostasis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits and on the cholesterol content of pork and mutton sausages were investigated. Daily oral doses of the bacteria were administered to hypercholesterolemic rabbits, and meat samples were inoculated with different amounts of bacteria and incubated for 12-15 hours at 37° C. These studies addressed the problem of human hypercholesterolemia by investigating the possibility of using E. coprostanoligenes as a model for the treatment of human hypercholesterolemia and to develop technology to decrease the cholesterol content of foods;Eighteen New Zealand White male adult rabbits were fed a commercial chow with no cholesterol (control), a commercial chow enriched with 0.1% cholesterol + 2% fat milk with live or boiled E. coprostanoligenes for 21 days. No clinical signs or symptoms of bacterial intoxication were observed in any rabbit. There were no significant differences between rabbit mean body weight during the different feeding periods. Changes in plasma cholesterol concentrations (days 0-77) were lower (P < 0.01) in rabbits fed the 0.1% cholesterol + live E. coprostanoligenes in 2% fat milk than in rabbits fed the 0.1% cholesterol + boiled E. coprostanoligenes in 2% fat milk. Liver enzymes activities and major metabolite concentrations in plasma were not influenced by the bacterial treatments. Fecal bile acid excretion was 1.9 times greater (P < 0.05) and fecal coprostanol to cholesterol ratio was 1.7 times greater at day 77 in rabbits fed the live bacteria;Pork and mutton samples were fermented with Lactobacillus commercial starter culture with or without different amounts of E. coprostanoligenes. Higher (P < 0.05) coprostanol concentrations were detected in fermented sausages and cultures from fermented sausages inoculated with E. coprostanoligenes. E. coprostanoligenes reduced cholesterol to coprostanol in pork and mutton during fermentation and maintained its cholesterol-reducing ability when added to media containing 0.2% cholesterol after fermentation. Both studies indicated that cholesterol reductase of E. coprostanoligenes in the digestive tract of rabbits and in fermented pork and mutton sausages converted cholesterol to coprostanol. Thus, the bacteria may be used to treat human hypercholesterolemia and to decrease cholesterol in foods.