Combined effect ofLactobacillus acidophilusandβ-cyclodextrin on serum cholesterol in pigs

Abstract

AbstractA total of twenty-four Yorkshire gilt pigs of 6–7 weeks of age were used in a 2×2 factorial experiment to determine the individual and combined effects of the inclusion of two dietary factors (cholesterol rich, 3 %β-cyclodextrin (BCD) andLactobacillus acidophiluscultures) on total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in blood serum. Pigs were assigned randomly to treatment groups (n6). Total serum cholesterol concentrations decreased after 3 weeks in all the experimental treatment groups, including diets with BCD,L.acidophilusor both. Similar trends were observed for serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations among the experimental treatments. No statistically significant differences from the control group were observed in either total serum cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol concentrations (P<0·05) for each of the individual treatment groups: BCD orL.acidophilus. However, significant differences in total serum cholesterol concentrations were observed when comparing the combined treatment group (BCD andL.acidophilus) with the control group, which consisted of a basal diet and sterile milk. The combined treatment group exhibited 17·9 % lower total serum cholesterol concentration after 3 weeks. Similar significant differences were observed when comparing the combined effect experimental group with the control group after 3 weeks. The combined treatment group exhibited 27·9 % lower serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations.