Red beetroots - a potential dietary supplement in the management of hypercholesterolemia

Document Type : Original Article

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Food Science and Technology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, 71515 Assiut, Egypt.

Abstract

Red beetroot juice was studied for its potential antihypercholesterolemic effects in cholesterol-rich diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. Thirty healthy adult albino rats were freely divided into two major groups, the first of which was fed on a baseline diet only (control negative: 6 rats), and the second of which was provided a hypercholesterolemic diet (24 rats) for 4 weeks. Chemical composition of red beetroots (ash, crude fats, crude proteins, crude fiber, carbohydrates, phenolic and flavonoids compounds) and mineral content were estimated, in addition to lipid profile and glucose levels were evaluated in the tested rats blood serum. The results showed that levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in hypercholesterolemic rats increased significantly, while the levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased significantly. After fed on red beetroot juice (at the doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks), total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly lowered, whereas HDL-C was significantly elevated. According to our data, red beetroots appeared to have considerable antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidant properties, as well as the phytoconstituents (e.g. flavonoids and phenolic acids) of beet root may have free radical scavenging effects. As a result, these findings open the way for the use of bio-waste from the food sector.

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