Dietary Aloe vera components’ effects on cholesterol lowering and estrogenic responses in juvenile goldfish, Carassius auratus

• Published in: Fish physiology and biochemistry 2013-08, Vol.39 (4), p.851-861
• Main Authors: Palermo, Francesco A., Cocci, Paolo, Angeletti, Mauro, Felici, Alberto, Polzonetti-Magni, Alberta Maria, Mosconi, Gilberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aloe; Aloe - chemistry; Aloe vera; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Animal Physiology; Animals; Bioactive compounds; Biomarkers - blood; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Carassius auratus; Cholesterol; Diet; Dietary supplements; Estrogens; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Goldfish - blood; Goldfish - growth & development; Gonads - drug effects; Histology; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - drug effects; Life Sciences; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Morphology; Phytoestrogens - analysis; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Plasma; Proteins; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sitosterols - analysis; Sterols; Vitellogenins - blood; Zoology
• ISSN: 0920-1742; 1573-5168
• DOI: 10.1007/s10695-012-9745-7

Aloes are now considered a very interesting source of bioactive compounds among which phytosterols should play a major role. The present study is an attempt to investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of Aloe vera associated with its impact on the reproductive status of juvenile goldfish. Therefore, the short- and long-term effects of feeding supplementary diet containing aloe components (20 mg aloe/g diet; 2 %) on plasma lipids, plasma vitellogenin, and hepatic estrogen receptor α/β1 mRNA levels in goldfish were examined. Results of GC–MS for phytosterols show high abundance of β-sitosterol in freeze-dried powder of Aloe vera whole leaves. Moreover, a 2 % aloe powder dietary supplement was not found estrogenic in juvenile goldfish after either 7- or 30-day treatment, but was consistent in plasma hypocholesterolemic effects following long-term exposure. The present data further support that plasma cholesterol modulation induced by phytosterols may not be related to estrogen-like activity.