Impact of Safflower Seed Oil on Serum Lipid Level and Immunocompetence of Rats

Abstract

Hypolipidemic, antioxidant and immune activities of safflower seed oil (SSO) were carried out to ascertain the claim of its utilization against diseases. High cholesterol fed diet rats exhibited a significant increase in total plasma lipid and atherogenicity and a significant decrease in high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Administration of linoleic acid is purified by safflower seed oil (LSO) or linoleic acid (LA) to hypercholesterolemic rats (LSO and LA groups, respectively) significantly ameliorated lipid parameters. Furthermore, malondialdehyde levels decreased and the efficiency of antioxidant defense system was improved compared to hypercholesterolemic group. Liver histological sections showed lipid storage in hepatocytes of hyperlipemia model group and an improvement was noted in both LSO and LA groups. Compared with three groups of LA, the level of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in high-fat diet with middle dose of LSO group was significantly increased. The current results suggested that LSO and LA have antiatherogenic immunity enhancement and hepatoprotective effects and the efficacy of LSO in lowering blood lipid and enhancing immunity is better than that of LA. LSO is worth further development and utilization.

Keywords

• safflower seed oil
• linoleic acid
• hyperlipidemia
• immune activity