Effect of ascofuranone on serum lipids of rats fed a cholesterol rich diet.

Ascofuranone, a fungal metabolite, significantly reduced serum lipid levels, when orally administered to male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol rich diet. The treatment also resulted in a marked reduction of hepatic and cardiac cholesterol contents without affecting the body weight gain. The serum albumin/globulin ratio increased significantly in the treated rats. This increase is presumably due to the decrease of beta-lipoprotein. The mode of action differentiates from clofibrate in so far as the former effectively prevents hepatic and cardiac cholesterol deposits in the cholesterol feeding rats.