Effect of grape seed oil supplementation on plasma lipid profiles in rats

The purpose of the study was to investigate the comparative effects of feeding of grape seed oil (GSO), soybean oil (SO), and lard on plasma lipid profile in rats. Lard fed diets increased body weight gain in rats and resulted in negative effects on lipoprotein metabolism. However, the GSO fed rats had a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC, 60.6 mg/dL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC, 16.8 mg/dL), and atherogenic index (AI, 0.9), and the ratio of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) to TC (0.5) was significantly higher than those of SO and lard groups. These data suggest that GSO supplementation has significant health benefits through favorable alterations in plasma lipid profiles compared to SO and lard fed rats. GSO may be good dietary oil and may provide health benefits in hyperlipidemia and related complications.