This study demonstrates that pork cholesterol levels are reduced in finishing swine fed β-cyclodextrin (βCD). The study subjects were 120 swine fed their respective chow diets containing 0, 5, 7, or 10% βCD for 35 consecutive days. Plasma total lipids, triglyceride and total cholesterol of the βCD- treated group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05). The levels of plasma lipid were significantly decreased by 63.22 mg, 73.98 mg, and 82.12 mg in the finishing swine group fed βCD at 5%, 7%, and 10% , respectively, compared to those in the control group (p<0.05). When 5, 7, and 10% βCD was administered to finishing swine, the triacylglyceride levels were decreased by 56.24 mg, 55.48 mg, and 60.02 mg, and total cholesterol concentration was reduced by 25.05 mg, 27.17 mg, and 30.19 mg, respectively, compared to those in the control group (p<0.05). Excretion of total steroid significantly (p<0.05) increased with increase of βCD supplementation. The cholesterol levels of swine back fat, belly, loin, and ham were significantly decreased with increase of βCD supplementation (p<0.05). The pork cholesterol was significantly (p<0.05) reduced by 15.31% in the βCD-treated group, compared to that of the control group. These results suggest that feeding βCD to finishing swine may produce novel functional pork with low cholesterol levels.

The effect of cooking(boiling, steaming and baking) and drying on the cholesterol content and formation of oxidized cholesterols and acid value in squid(Japanese flying squid, Todarodes pacificus) was studied. Cholesterol content of live squid meat varied with the portion sampled. The data from spectophotometric assay ranged from 263.2 mg/100g(mantle) to 315.8 mg/100g(tentacle). The cholesterol levels found for squid samples analyzed by gas chromatography(GC) were lower by 7% of total cholesterol for live squid meat and 24% for processed meat than those results by spectrophotometric assay. Cooking resulted some decrease in the initial total cholesterol content of raw meat from 10%(boiling for 5 min.) to 25%(steaming for 5 min.). The amounts of cholesterol remaining after baking were 68% for microwave oven samples and 64% for convection oven samples. Drying of raw tissue caused the greater reduction in cholesterol content than cooking but brought about no significant difference in samples stored for 6 weeks at 4℃ and 20℃. Raw squid meats contained essentially no oxidized cholesterols, while the 22-hydroxychoesterol was detected in frozen meats. The additional oxidized cholesterols as cholestane-triol was indentified with 22-hydroxycholesterol in cooked samples. Sun dried meat stored at 4℃ and 20℃ for 6 weeks had the three kinds of oxidized cholesterols such as 22-hydroxycholesterol, cholesta-3,5-dien-7-one and cholestane-triol. For the boiled and steamed squids, 10% higher acid value and 5% higher acid value respectively were observed but oven cooked samples resulted in a 50% higher acid value than raw samples. Squids had a 45% higher acid value than raw one during sundrying and presrevation at 20℃ but there was not a severe difference of acid value between 4℃ and 20℃ stored samples.

The present study was investigated the anti-oxidative effects of aloe vera ingestion on brain and kidney in aged rats by monitoring several oxidative-related parameters. Male specific pathogen-free Fischer 344 rats were randomly divided into four groups of five rat each: Group A was fed test chow without aloe supplementation; Group B was fed a diet containing a 1% freeze-dried aloe filet; Group C was fed a diet containing a 1% charcoal-processed, freeze-dried aloe filet; and Group D was fed a diet containing a charcoal-processed, freeze-dried, whole leaf aloe in drinking water. Analyses of tissues were done at 4 months and 16 months of age. Results showed that a long-term intake of aloe, regardless of the preparation used, enhanced antioxidant defenses against lipid peroxidation, as indicated by reduced phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide levels in both brain and kidney. The additional benefit of aloe intake on the anti-oxidative action was evidenced by enhanced superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in all aloe-ingested groups. Another beneficial effect of aloe shown in this study, although not an anti-oxidative parameter, was its cholesterol-lowering effect as detected in brain and kidney with significant decreases at age16 months of aloe-fed rats. Based on these findings, we conclude that a long-term dietary aloe supplementation modulated the anti-oxidative defense systems and cholesterol level.