Plasma lipids of rats fed millet (Sorghum vulgarie) at various protein levels

Effect of feeding defatted millet (Sorghum vulgarie) flour at 5, 10 and 14.5 percent protein levels to rats for six weeks on their plasma lipids has been studied. The results have been compared with rats fed casein at 10 per cent level. The plasma lipid metabolism in experimental and control rats has been studied by using acetate-l-14C, palmitate-l-14C, glucose-U-14C and NaH232PO4. Plasma total lipids and glycerides (mg/ml) were significantly high in all millet protein fed rats. Plasma total and esterified cholesterol was lower in M-5% groups and unaffected in M-10% and M-15% groups. Plasma total phospholipids and LPC and PC were reduced in M-10% and M-15% groups. The incorporation of palmitate-t-14C, acetate-1-14C and glucose-U-14C into plasma triglycerides showed that the secretion of hepatic TG into plasma was not impaired. The labelling pattern of plasma cholesterol and phospholipids suggest that the availability of these in liver is not the limiting factor for the pathogenesis of fatty liver observed in rats fed millet.