Interaction between dietary cholesterol or fatty acids and water-soluble fibers and increase in cholesterol excretion by pectin in rats.

Abstract

Excretion of cholesterol into the feces increased with the feeding of pectin in rats. Filtration with an ultrafilter of a mixture of cholesterol or free fatty acids with various soluble dietary fibers (SDFs) resulted in low levels of cholesterol or free fatty acids in the filtrate. Glucose, organic acids, and water soluble fatty acids were found in the filtrate even when mixed with SDFs at physiological pH. From these results, it seems that the increase in cholesterol excretion into feces by pectin may be due to the entrapment by SDF matrix or destruction of the micelles of cholesterol or fatty acid with SDF.