Effect of cream and yogurt butter diets on serum lipid profile in rats

Background and Objectives: Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor associated with coronary heart disease. The medical society recommends the consumption of low-fat and low-cholesterol foods. The current study aimed to explore the effect of different diets with cream or yogurt butter on plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels in rats. Methods: Yogurt butter and sweet cream butter were produced and their fatty acid profiles were created using gas chromatography; then, the index of atherogenicity (IA) was calculated for each butter. The rats were divided into three groups, with one group being fed with standard pellets as the control group and the other two with pellets mixed with 10% cream or yogurt butter for 4 weeks. Serum lipid profile was compared between the groups. Results: In comparison with cream butter and control groups, yogurt butter did not change serum triglycerides. The yogurt butter diet resulted in a lower total cholesterol than the other diets (p  =  0.04 for cream butter and p  =  0.001 for the control group). The rats fed with the yogurt diet had higher HDL cholesterol. IA decreased (p  =  0.0009) and conjugated linoleic acid (p  =  0.003) increased significantly in the yogurt butter compared with the cream butter group. Conclusion: Yogurt butter improved serum lipid profile and fatty acid composition in rats. Further human trials are needed to confirm these results.