D-glucaric acid content of various fruits and vegetables and cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary D-glucarate in the rat

The beneficial properties of different vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients have been studied for quite some time. But only recently has the potential usefulness of D-glucaric acid and its derivatives in disease prevention been demonstrated. D-Glucaric acid is an end product of the D-glucuronic acid pathway in mammals. Its dietary sources include different fruits and vegetables. In the present study, D-glucaric acid content in various fruits and vegetables was found to range from about 0.1 g/kg in grapes and lettuce to about 3.5 g/kg in apples and broccoli. It was also shown that purified diets containing calcium D-glucarate or potassium hydrogen D-glucarate markedly lowered serum levels of cholesterol in female Sprague-Dawley rats. The D-glucarates reduced total serum cholesterol in rats by up to 14% (P<0.05) and lowered LDL-cholesterol by up to 35% (P<0.05), but had no effect on HDL cholesterol. These results provide a starting point for further studies of the mechanism by which D-glucaric acid salts lower serum cholesterol.