ABSTRACT
The effect of type of dietary protein (animal versus plant source) on concentration of serum cholesterol is well known in some animal species, such as rabbit and rat, but remains equivocal in others, such as swine and human. Type of dietary protein has been shown to affect several factors controlling concentration of cholesterol in plasma in different animal species. Among these factors are lipoprotein composition, cholesterol synthesis, cholesterol absorption, lipoprotein receptor number and function, biliary composition and excretion of neutral and acidic sterols in feces. This paper is a brief review of the effects of dietary protein on the control mechanisms of hypercholesterolemia with emphasis on data collected from swine.
