Effect of Oral Powder Preserving Probiotic Lactobacillus casei Extract on the Lipid Profile in Hyperlipidemic Rat

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a critical risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Although there is no cure for it, controlling lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise is essential. One potential approach for treating hypercholesterolemia is developing novel delivery platforms incorporating probiotics. Probiotics have been shown to significantly reduce lipid profiles due to their antioxidant properties. Objectives: In this study, the researchers investigated the effects of oral supplementation with the lyophilized probiotic extract (LPE) of Lactobacillus casei on reducing lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic rats fed a fatty diet and fructose. Methods: This study involved 40 adult male Wistar rats, randomly divided into five groups: A negative control, a sham, and three treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3). The rats in the treatment groups received doses of 60, 120, and 240 mg/mL of LPE, respectively. Hyperlipidemia was induced in all groups by administering a mixture of 0.5% cholesterol, 30% tallow, and 20% fructose. The LPE supplementation was given orally once a day for two weeks. After the treatment period, blood samples were taken from all the rats 15 days later. Results: The results indicated that hyperlipidemia led to a significant increase in total blood cholesterol levels, including TG, LDL, and ALP (P < 0.001). Lyophilized probiotic extract supplementation significantly decreased total blood cholesterol levels (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The study demonstrated that LPE can reduce lipid levels and have a hypolipidemic effect in hyperlipidemic rats. Additionally, histopathology showed that a 540 mg/kg dose of LPE had an effective liver-protective effect.