Hypolipidemic effect of the polysaccharides from Porphyra yezoensis.

This study was performed to investigate the hypolipidemic effect of the polysaccharides extracted from Porphyra yezoensis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups and orally treated with diets containing either high fat, P. yezoensis polysaccharides (PPs), or normal fat. Treatment of male Sprague-Dawley rats with PPs led not only to significant decreases in plasma triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and an increase in plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but also to significant decreases in liver weight, triacylglycerol and cholesterol. Therefore, the results suggest that PPs had a high hypolipidemic activity and could be used as a potential therapeutic agent for hyperlipidemia.