Karima Said Mohamed Hammad¹, Saad Ahmed Hallabo¹, Samy Mohamed Galal^1,

Hypercholesterolemia is the most common pathologic process underlying atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Alpha–linolenic acid (ALA) is believed to benefit the cardiovascular system. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of dietary ALA from linseed oil and walnut on serum lipid profile of rats fed on atherogenic diet (AD). Sixty male Sprague- Dawley rats weighed 121.3±10.6 g were divided into six groups. Rats were fed for 10 weeks on rodent diets contained 2% cholesterol , 3% corn oil and 20% fat whose source was from either palm stearin (saturated fat), corn oil, linseed oil or walnut at different levels of ALA that ranged from zero to 9.71%. Weight gain, liver weight, serum lipid profile and liver function parameters were determined. AD based on saturated fat resulted in significant alterations in serum lipids, increase in body weight gain and relative liver weight accompanied by negative effect on liver function parameters. Dietary ALA could counteract the detrimental effects brought about by the AD. The overall beneficial effects provided by high level of ALA were better than those given by low levels of ALA. Linseed oil exerted a hypolipidemic effect and could be considered as a promising functional food in cardiovascular disease.

alpha-linolenic acid, linseed oil, walnut, hypercholesterolemia, lipid profile, liver function parameters