Soy protein enhances the cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterol esters in cholesterol-fed hamsters

This study aimed to investigate whether the combination of plant sterol esters (PSE) with soy protein or soy isoflavones may have extra cholesterol-lowering effects. Male hamsters (n = 20/group) were fed diets containing (g/100 g diet) (A) 20 casein (control), (B) 0.24 PSE, (C) 20 intact soy protein (replacing casein), (D) 0.02 soy isoflavones, (E) 0.24 PSE plus 20 soy protein (replacing casein), or (F) 0.24 PSE plus 0.02 soy isoflavones, for 5 wk. All diets contained 0.08 g cholesterol/100 g diet. Compared with the control diet, the PSE and soy protein diets significantly lowered the plasma total cholesterol concentration by 13% (P < 0.05) and 9% (P < 0.05), respectively, whereas the isoflavone diet (D) had no effect. The combination of PSE and soy protein (diet E) decreased plasma total cholesterol by 26% (P < 0.05). The decrease in plasma cholesterol concentration was mainly in the non-HDL fraction. In addition, the combination of PSE and soy protein significantly decreased plasma triacylglycerol concentration (37%, P < 0.05) and reduced cholesterol accumulation in the liver. The abundance of hepatic LDL-receptors was not influenced by any of the test diets. PSE selectively increased fecal excretion of neutral sterols by 190% (P < 0.05), whereas soy protein increased fecal excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids by 66% (P < 0.05) and 130% (P < 0.05), respectively. The combination of PSE and soy protein increased the fecal excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids compared with PSE and soy protein alone. In conclusion, the combination of PSE and soy protein more dramatically lowers plasma lipids than the individual ingredients.