Indigestible cowpea proteins reduced plasma cholesterol after long-term oral administration to Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract Cowpea protein isolate (CPI) was subjected to various dry and wet heat pretreatments followed by sequential digestion with pepsin pancreatin; the undigested residues were isolated as indigestible cowpea proteins (ICPs). All ICPs exhibited in vitro bile acid-binding capacity but ICP from slow cooling-induced gelation had highest yield (68%) used for rat feeding experiments determine effect on plasma total cholesterol (TC). Groups consisting of 3 male female Sprague-Dawley rats each fed hypercholesterolemic diets that contained casein only or partially substituted CPI 6 weeks. Results showed diet 5% (w/w) more effective preventing TC increase (1.8 mmol/L) when compared increases 9.34 4.15 mmol/L diets, respectively. Graphical abstract