Sesame seed oil and flaxseed oil affect plasma lipid levels and biomarkers of bone metabolism in ovariectomized Wistar rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of flaxseed oil (FO) and sesame seed oil (SO) on lowering cholesterol and biomarkers of bone metabolism in Wistar rats as an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. Thirty-two 90-day-old female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated (sham) +control diet, ovx + control diet, ovx + 10% (FO), and ovx + 10% (SO). After 4 weeks of feeding, rats were euthanized and tissues and blood were collected for analyses. The total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose concentration, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity (TRAP) were measured. Results showed that ovariectomy significantly increased serum total – and LDL-cholesterol, these two parameters decreased significantly upon treatment with FO and SO. Serum HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, and liver total cholesterol concentrations were unaffected by either of the treatments. The TRAP and ALP activities increased significantly in OVX rats compared with the sham group. A significant decrease in ALP and TRAP activities was observed in both treated groups supplemented with FO and SO at 10% of fat (p < 0.05). The ovariectomy, FO, and SO diets did not affect glucose levels. The findings of this study showed that FO and SO are beneficial in reducing plasma cholesterol, LDL- (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and bone biomarkers induced by ovarian hormone deficiency.