Lam Wai Yee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-148). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Lipoproteins --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- General structure --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Chylomicrons --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.5 --- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.6 --- Lipoprotein metabolism --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.6.1 --- Exogenous pathway --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.6.2 --- LDL receptor pathway --- p.6 / Chapter 1.1.6.3 --- Reverse cholesterol transport --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Cholesterol homeostasis --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Role of Acyl-CoA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase (ACAT) in intracellular cholesterol regulation --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Cholesterol biosynthesis --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Bile acid metabolism --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3 --- Coronary heart disease (CHD) --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Risk factors of CHD --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Lipoprotein cholesterol and CHD --- p.18 / Chapter 1.4 --- Animal models for hypercholesterolemic study --- p.20 / Chapter 1.5 --- Physico-chemical properties of water-soluble dietary fiber (SDF) --- p.22 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Water-holding capacity --- p.23 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Viscosity --- p.24 / Chapter 1.5.3 --- Adsorption or entrapment of organic molecules --- p.25 / Chapter 1.5.4 --- Fermentability --- p.25 / Chapter 1.6 --- Hypocholesterolemic effect of SDF and proposed mechanisms --- p.26 / Chapter 1.7 --- Medicinal properties of edible mushrooms --- p.28 / Chapter 1.7.1 --- Background information --- p.28 / Chapter 1.7.2 --- Hypocholesterolemic effect of edible mushrooms --- p.29 / Chapter 1.7.3 --- Previous studies on edible jelly mushrooms --- p.31 / Chapter 1.8 --- Objectives / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Materials and Methods --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Sample preparation --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Animal model --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Extraction scheme of mushroom water-soluble non-starch polysaccharides (SNSPs) --- p.35 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Proximate analyses of samples --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Crude protein --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- Fat --- p.37 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Total dietary fiber --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.2.5 --- Ash --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2.2.6 --- Moisture --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Chemical characterization of mushroom SNSPs --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Monosaccharide composition by gas chromatography --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Total carbohydrate content --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.3.3 --- Uronic acid content --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.3.4 --- Soluble protein content --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Rheological study of mushroom SNSPs --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Determination of intrinsic viscosity [ η] of mushroom SNSPs --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Determination of apparent viscosity [ηap] of mushroom SNSPs --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- In vivo study --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.5.1 --- Animal diets --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.5.1.1 --- Study for hypocholesterolemic potential of mushroom SNSPs --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.5.1.2 --- Study for dose-dependent effect on hypocholesteolemic potential of Auricularia polytricha (AP) SNSP --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.5.2 --- Feeding experiments --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.5.2.1 --- Screening for hypocholesterolemic potential of mushroom SNSPs --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.5.2.2 --- Dose-dependent effect on hypocholesterolemic potential of AP SNSP --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.5.3 --- Blood samples collection --- p.52 / Chapter 2.2.5.4 --- Plasma preparation --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.5.5 --- Liver samples collection and preparation --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.5.6 --- Fecal samples collection and preparation --- p.53 / Chapter 2.2.5.7 --- Determination of plasma lipid profiles --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.5.7.1 --- Plasma total cholesterol (TC) analysis --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.5.7.2 --- Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) analysis --- p.54 / Chapter 2.2.5.7.3 --- Plasma triglycerides (TG) analysis --- p.55 / Chapter 2.2.5.8 --- Determination of hepatic cholesterol profile by gas chromatography --- p.56 / Chapter 2.2.5.9 --- Determination of hepatic enzymes activity --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.5.9.1 --- Preparation of hepatic microsomes --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.5.9.2 --- Determination of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl- glutaryl-Coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) activity --- p.58 / Chapter 2.2.5.10 --- Determination of fecal lipid profiles by gas chromatography --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.5.10.1 --- Separation of fecal neutral and acidic sterols --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.5.10.2 --- Fecal neutral sterol analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 2.2.5.10.3 --- Fecal acidic sterol analysis --- p.62 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Statistical analysis --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results and Discussion --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1 --- Proximate analysis of edible jelly mushrooms --- p.65 / Chapter 3.2 --- Yield of mushroom SNSP crude extracts --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3 --- Chemical characterization of mushroom SNSPs --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Total carbohydrate content --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Uronic acid content --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Soluble protein content --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Monosaccharide composition --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4 --- Rheological behavior of mushroom SNSPs --- p.71 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Intrinsic viscosity [η] --- p.71 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Apparent viscosity [ηap] --- p.75 / Chapter 3.5 --- In vivo hypocholesterolemic potential of mushroom SNSPs --- p.78 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Effect on body weight and diet intake --- p.79 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Effect on plasma TC concentration --- p.81 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Effect on plasma HDL-C concentration --- p.84 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- Effect on plasma TG concentration --- p.86 / Chapter 3.5.5 --- Effect on hepatic cholesterol profile --- p.89 / Chapter 3.5.6 --- Effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity by AA and AP SNSPs --- p.92 / Chapter 3.5.7 --- Effect on neutral and acidic sterols excretion by AA and AP SNSPs --- p.93 / Chapter 3.5.8 --- Correlation between hypocholesterolemic potential and viscosity of mushroom SNSPs --- p.97 / Chapter 3.6 --- In vivo dose-dependent effect on hypocholesterolemic potential of AP SNSP --- p.99 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Effect on body weight and diet intake --- p.100 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Effect on plasma TC concentration --- p.102 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Effect on plasma HDL-C concentration --- p.105 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Effect on plasma TG concentration --- p.107 / Chapter 3.6.5 --- Effect on hepatic cholesterol profile --- p.110 / Chapter 3.6.6 --- Effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity --- p.113 / Chapter 3.6.7 --- Effect on neutral and acidic sterols excretion --- p.114 / Chapter 3.6.8 --- Correlation between dosage and hypocholesterolemic effect of AP SNSP --- p.119 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Conclusions and Future works --- p.121 / List of References --- p.124 / Related Publications --- p.149