Hypercholesterolemic and Immunomodulatory Effects of Oat Extracts containing β-glucan

An experimental research was carried out to study the effect of oat extracts as modulators of immune response and hypercholesterolemia. This research involved experiments to examine the influence of oat extracts on blood lipids in mice. Oat extracts were given in intraperitoneally to Swiss albino mice fed on hypercholesterolemic diet or normal diet. The serum cholesterol level and immune response of the animals was checked under, normal, hypercholesterolemic state and after treating the hypercholesterolemic mice with oat extracts. The immune status was checked by employing INOS activity, Phagocytosis, NBT reduction test and ELISA. The oat extracts resulted in immune response enhancement and reduced the cholesterol level in the hypercholesterolemic mice.