Influence of Citrus Pectin Feeding on Lipid Metabolism and Body Composition of Swine

Abstract

Pigs receiving 5% citrus pectin in the ration for 4 weeks had significantly higher serum cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid levels, more backfat and higher liver cholesterol levels than pigs receiving the control ration. The addition of 5% fat to the ration resulted in significantly higher serum and hepatic cholesterol and increased backfat. The inclusion of 5% pectin plus 5% added fat in the ration caused a highly significant increase in serum cholesterol, phospholipid and triglycerides, hepatic cholesterol and backfat thickness compared with that of the animals fed either fat or pectin alone. There appeared to be a definite synergistic effect to the addition of both fat and pectin to the ration. The increases in serum and hepatic lipid levels noted as the result of feeding pectin to swine are exactly opposite to the hypocholesterolemic activity of this compound which has been reported in man and the rat.