Diacylglycerol (DAG) rich rice bran and sunflower oils modulate lipid profile and cardiovascular risk factors in Wistar rats

•Dietary feeding of diacylglycerol (DAG40%) in total fat source significantly decreases the triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in Wistar rats.•The DAG rich oil significantly modulated the serum inflammatory cytokine levels.•Cardiovascular risk factors like C-reactive protein and platelet aggregation were decreased by feeding DAG rich oil.•DAG rich oil decreased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (i-NOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in thoracic aorta. Diacylglycerol (DAG) oil is suggested to have anti-obesity effect in view of its distinct metabolic fate and fat oxidation. In the present investigation, dietary feeding of DAG rich sunflower and rice bran oils for 12 weeks in Wistar rats significantly decreased triacylglycerol (TAG), total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in serum, liver and adipose. Fat accumulation was decreased in DAG fed groups. Fecal cholesterol levels increased in DAG fed rats. DAG rich oil decreased selected cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as serum C-reactive protein (C-RP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), platelet aggregation and expression of thoracic aortic proteins such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (i-NOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) compared to TAG oil fed group. Serum clinical enzyme activity and histopathological observations of liver conforms safety of DAG oil. Thus, DAG rich oil has beneficial metabolic effects by decreasing fat accumulation, lipid profile and CVD risk factors.