Chitooligosaccharides decreases plasma lipid levels in healthy men

Cheong-Rak Choia, Eun-Kyung Kimb, Yon-Suk Kimb, Jae-Young Je*c, Sang-Hyun And, Jae Dong Leee, Joon Ho Wange, Seung Seog Kie, Byong-Tae Jeonf, Sang-Ho Moonf & Pyo-Jam Park*ba Division of Sport Science, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Koreab Department of Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Koreac School of Food Technology and Nutrition, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Koread Division of Sport and Wellbeing, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Koreae Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Koreaf Korean Nokyong Research Center, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence: P.-J. Park, Department of Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea. Tel:+82 43 840 3588. Fax:+82 43 852 3616. E-mail: parkpj@kku.ac.kr; J.-Y. Je, School of Food Technology and Nutrition, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, Republic of Korea. Tel:+82 61 659 7416. Fax:+82 61 659 7419. E-mail: jjy1915@jnu.ac.krChitosan, which is derived from chitin, has drawn much attention due to its low toxicity and potential use in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The biological activities of chitosan have been shown to depend on its molecular weight (MW) and degree of deacetylation. In this study, we investigated whether oral chitooligosaccharides, which are easily absorbed into the body, can reduce the plasma level of lipid in smokers and non-smokers because smoking is a high-risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. All healthy men (11 smokers and 8 non-smokers) consumed 500 mg of chitooligosaccharides in water twice daily before a meal (breakfast and dinner) over a 6-week period. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in both the smoker group and non-smoker group when compared with baseline. These results suggest that low MW chitooligosaccharides would be an effective dietary supplement for lowering cholesterol level.