Differential effect of a dietary soybean phosphatidylcholine and phospholipid mixture on hematologic parameters, and serum lipids in rats

Experiments were carried out to clarify the different effects of two types of soybean phospholipid, i. e., a phospholipid mixture (PLmix) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), on hematological parameters and concentrations of various lipids in serum of rats. These phospholipid concentrates had similar fatty acid patterns. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were separately fed a 20% casein diet containing 10% soybean oil as a control, 2.5% PLmix or PC+7.5% soybean oil, 5% PLmix or PC+5% soybean oil, and 9% PLmix or PC+1% soybean oil for 30 days. Weight gain and food intake were almost the same in all groups, except for a reduced weight gain in the 9% PLmix group relative to the control group. The erythrocyte and platelet counts tended to increase in both the PLmix and PC groups, and platelet aggregation tended to be elevated in the PC groups. However, there were no differences in hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit between any of the groups. Concentrations of serum total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol in rats fed the PLmix diets but not the PC diets were markedly decreased relative to those of the control group. On the other hand, the concentration of serum triglyceride was significantly decreased in the PC groups, but only a slight reduction was observed in the PLmix groups. Hepatic p-450 was increased in both the PLmix and PC groups. These results suggested that the effects of phosphatidylcholine on various serum lipids were markedly different from the effects produced by the phospholipid mixture, although some of the effects of the two treatments were similar.