Effect of dietary phospholipids and their constituent bases on serum lipids and apolipoproteins in rats.

To evaluate alterations of serum lipoproteins, liver lipids and fecal sterol excretion caused by feeding a crude soybean phospholipid preparation, the effect of purified phospholipids and phospholipid bases were studied in rats. Soybean phosphatidylcholine preparations showed no effect on serum lipoproteins and liver lipids. Egg yolk phospholipid, which contained phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, caused a decrease in serum cholesterol and apoprotein A-I and an increase in serum apoprotein B and liver cholesterol. Ethanolamine, but not choline and inositol, showed an effect on serum lipoproteins similar to egg yolk phospholipid. All phospholipids tested increased fecal excretion of neutral sterols. It is suggested that phosphatidylethanolamine exerts marked influence on serum lipoprotein levels.