Effect of cellulose, pectin and chromium(III) on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in rats

The effects of cellulose, pectin and chromium(III) on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were investigated in rats. Eighty male Buffalo rats (n = 10/group, 4 weeks old) were fed experimental diets for 6 weeks. The two control groups received a fiber free diet (FF) or a fiber free diet plus chromium (FF + Cr) (2.53 mg Cr/kg diet). The other groups were fed diets containing 5% of cellulose (CEL), 5% of pectin (PEC) or 2.5% of cellulose plus 2.5% of pectin (CEL + PEC) with or without chromium. The daily food intake and body weight of the rats were not affected by the experimental diets. Total cholesterol level in plasma was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in the PEC group than the rats fed the FF diet. Feeding of rats with the PEC + Cr diet resulted in a significantly higher concentration of plasma HDL cholesterol (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with the CEL + Cr group. No statistically significant differences in the concentrations of plasma triglycerides (TG) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) between the groups were observed. Rats fed the CEL + Cr diet had a significantly lower content of cholesterol and rats fed the CEL + Cr diet lower contents of cholesterol and TG in the liver (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with other groups. The concentration of HbA1c was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in rats fed the CEL and CEL + Cr diets than in other groups. A significantly lower concentration of plasma glucose (p ≤ 0.05) was observed in rats receiving the CEL + PEC diet in comparison with the FF group. A significant effect of fiber and chromium combination was shown only in the case of triglyceride content in the liver of rats (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that a diet containing fiber (PEC) and chromium or their supplements may be beneficial for correcting some disturbances of lipid metabolism, and a diet containing cellulose or its supplements may be used to improve glycemic control.