Ginger is a popular seasoning spice for foods in many different cuisines. Dietary ginger extract has been shown to be effective in reducing plasma cholesterol. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The present study was designed to examine the interaction of ginger extract with the genes and proteins involved in cholesterol homeostasis. Male Golden Syrian hamsters (n = 30) were divided into three groups and fed one of three diets containing 0.1% cholesterol supplemented with 0 (CTL), 0.5% (L-GSE) and 1.0% (H-GSE) ginger extract, for 6 weeks. Results showed both L-GSE and H-GSE could effectively reduce plasma total cholesterol level by 6�18%. This was accompanied by 20% decrease in the hepatic cholesterol, 57% decrease in atherosclerotic plaque and 40-140% increase in fecal neutral and acidic sterols. Supplementation of ginger extract down-regulated the genes of intestinal ATP-binding cassette transporters G5 (ABCG5), microsomal triglyceride protein (MTP), and hepatic liver X receptor-alpha (LXRa). More importantly, ginger extract increased both mRNA cholesterol-7a-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and the protein level of CYP7A1. It was concluded that the hypocholesterolemic activity of ginger extract was most likely mediated by enhancement of cholesterol and bile acid excretion and up-regulation of CYP7A1 (The project was supported by a grant from Hong Kong Research Grants Council).

Hypocholesterolemic activity of ginger extract is mediated by increasing fecal excretion of neutral and acidic sterols

248th National Meeting (2014)

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