Effect of red yeast rice on toxicity of oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fish oil in rats

Background & aims: A study was undertaken to investigate the effect of red yeast rice on oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fish oil-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. Methods: The rats were divided into five groups, 30 male Wistar rats were fed with diets supplemented with 1% red yeast rice, 2% oxidized cholesterol or 3% oxidized fish oil for 6 weeks. Results: Red yeast rice increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in plasma, and glutathione (GSH) level in plasma, and decrease the activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in plasma, and the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triacylglycerols and total cholesterol in plasma, and relative ratios of liver weight to body weight and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level in the liver of rats caused by oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fish oil. That red yeast rice might reduce the biochemical parameters characteristic in the plasma and liver of rats caused by oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fish oil. Conclusions: It was also found that red yeast rice may play an important role in suppressing and a good recovering on short-term preventing effect from the toxicity of oxidized cholesterol and oxidized fish oil-induced toxicity in rats.