Abstract
Background and aims: The beneficial effects of probiotics, especially yogurt, have drawn attention, but in the last few years, probiotic yogurts have received great attention due to their significant effects on health. Plants, including artichoke (Gundelia tournefortii L.), have many beneficial effects. In this study, the effect of yogurts containing G. tournefortii extract and kefir on lipid, lipoprotein pattern, calcium and phosphorus was compared with that of probiotic yogurts obtained from two microorganisms, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Methods: 12 batches of probiotic yogurts were produced by Tamime method, along with kefir and G. tournefortii extract. The yogurts along with a high-fat diet were fed to 80 adult male Wistar rats for seven days. At the end of study, the serum levels of lipid, lipoproteins, calcium and phosphorous were measured using standard methods.
Results: The effect of yogurt containing G. tournefortii extract was similar to those of probiotic yogurts in lowering serum cholesterol. Although yogurts containing G. tournefortii extract and probiotic yogurts pronouncedly reduced HDL-C, VLDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides, the reduction was not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between the mean concentrations of phosphorous in different groups.
Conclusion: Yogurts containing G. tournefortii extract have similar effects on the reduction of high-fat diet-induced hypercholesterolemia to those of probiotic yogurts containing L. acidophilus and B. bifidum. The usage of G. tournefortii extract 0.9%, kefir and 0.6 g L. acidophilus increases the calcium level compared to normal diet, but the other G. tournefortii extracts and probiotic yogurts do not affect calcium levels.