Effects of Oral Chondroitin Sulfate on Lipid and Antioxidant Metabolisms in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

This study aimed at determining the effects of purified chondroitin sulfate (ChS) from pig laryngeal cartilage on the lipid and antioxidant metabolisms of male Sprague-Dawley rats that are fed a high-fat diet. Thirty-two male rats were divided into four groups and fed for 5 weeks on a standard diet, a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet plus ChS. It was demonstrated that the high-fat diet provoked lipid peroxidation and induced a severe depletion of lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipidase, glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase levels. ChS was effective in reducing triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density-lipid cholesterol and malondialdehyde levels elevated by the high-fat diet. In addition, ChS might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, as high-density-lipid cholesterol, lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipidase and the ratio of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol to total cholesterol were significantly higher than in the high-fat-diet rats. ChS restored the endogenous antioxidants glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase. These results showed that ChS was potent in lipid-lowering and altering the antioxidative enzyme; however, excess ChS would disturb lipid profiles that went beyond the normal limits.