Effect of Soy Protein Supplementation on Hepatic Lipid Profile in Rats Fed a Cholesterol-Based Diet

The effect of soy protein intake on liver lipid homeostasis in cholesterol-fed rats was investigated. One hundred and five albino Wistar rats divided into five groups (n = 21) were fed 20% soy protein without cholesterol (A), 20% soy protein + 5% cholesterol (B), 20% soy protein + 10% cholesterol (C), 0% soy protein + 20% cholesterol (D), and 5% soy protein + 20% cholesterol (E) for six weeks. Liver total cholesterol, esterified cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in soy protein fed rats (B and C) when compared with those fed cholesterol with no or minimal soy protein (D and E) supplement respectively. It could thus be concluded that soy protein supplementation reduces hepatic lipid load in hypercholesterolemic rats