GOLDENBERRY (PHYSALIS PERUVIANA) JUICE RICH IN HEALTH-BENEFICIAL COMPOUNDS SUPPRESSES HIGH-CHOLESTEROL DIET-INDUCED HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN RATS

Goldenberries (Physalis peruviana) are a promising exotic fruit that could be a subject of many novel foods. No reports are available on the effect of administration of goldenberries on different aspects of blood profile in experimental animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding goldenberry juice on hypercholesterolemia by analyzing the changes in the blood profile of high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed rats. The chemical composition and antiradical properties of juice were determined. Generally, rats fed with goldenberry juice showed lower levels of total cholesterol, total triacylglycerol and total low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in comparison with animals fed with HCD and cholesterol-free diet. Juice administration induced a decrease in the activity of glutamic pyruvic transaminase compared with the positive control group after 2 months of administration. There was a remarkable decrease in total serum protein, albumin and globulin for groups treated with goldenberry juice. Histological examination of the liver and kidney were also conducted. The results demonstrated that consumption of goldenberry juice may provide beneficial effects on reversing HCD-associated detrimental changes.