EFFECT OF DIETARY LIPIDS AND ALFALFA LEAF MEAL ON SERUM LIPIDS PROFILE OF RATS

Abstract

Twenty seven 2 to 3 month old Wister albino male rats were used to
determine the serum lipids of rats fed ration containing boiled egg yolk
(BEY), cooked beef burger (CBB) and alfalfa leaf meal (ALM). The
treatments were T1 basal diet as control (mixture of wheat bran, corn, maize
oil, premix, calcium bicarbonate and salt), T2 basal diet supplemented with
15g BEY + 45g CBB daily and T3 basal diet supplemented with 15g BEY +
45g CBB + 5g alfalfa leaf meal daily. The experiment was arranged in a
completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 treatments each replicated three
times with 3 rats per replicate, and the experiment lasted for six weeks. Blood
samples were collected for determined serum cholesterol, triglyceride, low
density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). The result
showed that feeding lipids source (T2 = egg yolk and beef burger) caused a
significant increased (P < 0.01) serum cholesterol, triglyceride, low density
lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein of rats than control diet (T1). Feeding
alfalfa leaf meal (T3) significantly (P < 0.01) decreased serum cholesterol,
triglyceride and low density lipoprotein. Moreover, alfalfa leaf meal (T3)
significantly (P < 0.01) increased serum high density lipoprotein of rats.