Cereal Chem 67:439-443   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Influence of Rice Bran, Oat Bran, and Wheat Bran on Cholesterol and Triglycerides in Hamsters.

T. S. Kahlon, R. M. Saunders, F. I. Chow, M. M. Chieu, and A. A. Betschart. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The influence of stabilized or parboiled rice brans (full-fat or defatted), oat bran, or rice-wheat bran combinations on cholesterol and triglycerides was evaluated in four-week-old male, Syrian golden hamsters. The control diet (C) contained 10% cellulose and 0.5% cholesterol. Other diets were modifications of diet C that provided 10% total dietary fiber from either stabilized rice bran (RB), defatted RB, parboiled rice bran, defatted parboiled rice bran, fiber from RB and wheat bran (2:1 ratio), fiber from defatted RB and wheat bran (2:1) or oat bran. Eighty hamsters (10/treatment) were randomly fed the respective diets. After 21 days, full-fat rice bran (stabilized or parboiled) and oat bran resulted in a significantly lower elevation of plasma and liver cholesterol values compared with those fed the cholesterol control diet. Defatting rice bran resulted in a loss of its cholesterol-lowering properties. The cholesterol-lowering effect of stabilized rice bran was still apparent with a blend of 31.9% stabilized rice bran and 6.9% wheat bran.