Oryzanol decreases cholesterol absorption and aortic fatty streaks in hamsters

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Abstract
Oryzanol is a class of nonsaponifiable lipids of rice bran oil (RBO). More specifically, oryzanol is a group of ferulic acid esters of triterpene alcohol and plant sterols. In experiment 1, the mechanisms of the cholesterol‐lowering action of oryzanol were investigated in 32 hamsters made hypercholesterolemic by feeding chow‐based diets containing 5% coconut oil and 0.1% cholesterol with or without 1% oryzanol for 7 wk. Relative to the control animals, oryzanol treatment resulted in a significant reduction in plasma total cholesterol (TC) (28%, PPPPPPPP<0.01) in the oryzanol‐treated animals. From these studies, it is concluded that a constituent of the nonsaponifiable lipids of RBO, oryzanol, is at least partially responsible for the cholesterol‐lowering action of RBO. In addition, the cholesterol‐lowering action of oryzanol was associated with significant reductions in aortic fatty streak formation.