Abstract: To investigate the effect of dietary porous starch on lipid metabolism in ovariectomized rats, 24 mature female SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups according to body weight: Sham-operated group and two bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) groups. From one week after the operation onwards, the rats from each group were given the corresponding diet. The contents of triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol in plasma and liver, neutral sterols and bile acids in feces, and microorganisms and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecal contents were determined after 4 weeks of feeding. Results indicated that triglyceride (TG) and TG/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio in plasma, total cholesterol (TC), TG and total fat in liver, and abdominal fat deposition were significantly reduced by dietary substitution of porous starch (P < 0.05). The excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids in feces were increased significantly (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, porous starch also promoted the proliferation of probiotic microorganisms, and increased the concentration of SCFAs. In conclusion, porous starch may decrease the risk of suffering hyperlipidemia due to the lack of estrogen.

Key words: porous starch, ovariectomized rat, plasma lipids, cholesterol