ICAR Research Data Repository for Knowledge Management

The hypocholesterolemic effect of oryzanol, a mixture of ferulic acid esters of sterols and triterpenols, isolated from rice bran oil was compared with that of curcumin (diferuloyl methane, the yellow pigment of turmeric) and ferulic acid. Feeding 0.5% oryzanol, 0.15% curcumin or 75 mg% ferulic acid in the 1% cholesterol containing diet (HCD) for 7 weeks caused a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol as well as (LDL + VLDL) cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Serum lipoprotein (LDL+VLDL) concentration was also decreased. The ratio of LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol which was 24.9 on the HCD was decreased by 40% by oryzanol, 21% by curcumin and 24% by ferulic acid. Oryzanol and curcumin lowered liver cholesterol levels, whereas ferulic acid was not effective. Oryzanol was a better hypocholesterolemic agent than curcumin or ferulic