Influence of Tannin-Rich Carob Pod Fiber on the Cholesterol Metabolism in the Rat

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Abstract
Carob pod fiber containing 44.4% highly polymerized tannins was fed to rats in a purified diet in order to study its effect upon the concentration of cholesterol and lipids in the plasma and liver, and the fecal excretion of sterols and bile acids. The Carob fiber complex reduced significantly the protein utilization, probably by non-specific binding of protein by carob tannins. Rats fed diets containing 5 and 15% fiber excreted the same amount of sterols but 3 and 5 times more bile acids, respectively, than did rats fed the fiber-free diet. The concentration of bile acids in the feces, however, remained unchanged due to the increased weight of the feces in rats fed fiber-containing diets. Bacterial degradation of cholesterol was reduced strongly in these two groups. Supplementation of the diet with cholesterol increased the fecal sterol and bile acid excretions in rats fed fiber-free diets, but these excretions were even more increased in the 5 and 10% fiber groups. The concentration of the bile acids in the feces was unchanged in the three groups that received cholesterol. In vitro studies demonstrated that carob fiber adsorbed appreciable quantities of bile salts. A diet containing at least 10% fiber was required to reduce the elevation of liver cholesterol and total lipid levels from dietary cholesterol, but it did not prevent the increase of the plasma cholesterol level. Our data suggest that carob fiber has an influence on cholesterol turnover by decreasing the absorption of bile acids and cholesterol but the latter only in the case of cholesterol-fed rats.

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