Effects of Light-To-Moderate Chinese Baijiu Consumption on Serum Lipid Metabolism and Liver Function of Sprague-Dawley Rats.

We have investigated the effect of light-to-moderate baijiu consumption on serum lipid metabolism and liver function in vivo. To this end, six groups of rats received increasing dosage of baijiu (0.5–5.0mL/kg) for 8 weeks and multiple markers of lipid metabolism and liver function were evaluated. Compared to that of the blank control, at the baijiu dosage of 3.0mL/kg, the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity increased significantly (P<0.05), whereas malondialdehyde level decreased (P<0.05). In comparison to the pure ethanol groups, with baijiu groups at the same level of alcohol revealed that baijiu had noticeably positive impact in ameliorating the changes in the values of all parameters examined. In summary, regular consumption of light-to-moderate amount of baijiu may significantly enhance the metabolism of serum lipids and enhance liver function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]