Effects of Euglena cells on the absorption and tissue distribution of dietary cholesterol in rats

Effects of Euglena dry cells on the absorption and metabolism of cholesterol were studied with rats by comparing the Euglena-diet, in which 75% of total protein was replaced with Euglena dry cells, with a casein diet. No significant difference was found between the Euglena-diet and the casein-diet groups in body weight and relative weight of organs. Excretion of [14C] -labeled-cholesterol to feces was more in the Euglena-diet group than in the casein-diet group and retention time of cholesterol in digestive tract was shorter in the Euglena-diet group than in the casein-diet group, resulting in low tissue-distribution of cholesterol radioactivity in the Euglena-diet group. No significant difference was found between these two groups in tissue-distribution ratio of absorbed labeled-cholesterol radioactivity.