Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online) Vol.6, No.22, 2016 67 Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Oil Intervention and its Effect on Lipid Profile and MDA Levels of Hypercholesterolemic Male Sprague-Dawley Rats Dyah Raysa Laksitoresmi Clara M. Kusharto* Tiurma Sinaga Ahmad Sulaeman Graduate School of Public Nutrition, Bogor Agricultural University PO box 168, Bogor 16680, Indonesia Abstract Catfish oil,which is rich in essential fatty acids,can be utilized as an alternative supplement solution. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of catfish oil intervention on the lipid profile and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of hypercholesterolemic male Sprague-Dawley rats. Four treatments were applied in this study: negative control (A1), refined fish oil (A2), fish oil with omega-3 concentrates (A3), and fish oil with omega-3 concentrates and vitamin E (A4). The results showed that catfish oil tended to reduce cholesterol levels. Negative control group had the highest value of lipid profile (58.3±9.93 mg/dL) among other groups. All intervention groups had very low MDA values (A1: 0.616±0.071, A2: 0.835±0.223, A3: 0.832±0.160, A4: 0.702±0.113 nmol/L), indicating that their MDA values were still normal (<4nmol/L). Keywords: Catfish oil, Hypercholesterolemia, Lipid profile, Malondialdehyde 1. Introduction Hypercholesterolemia is a cholesterol metabolism disorder caused by high cholesterol levels in the blood (Stapleton et al, 2010). This condition is also the main risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and atherosclerosis (Stapleton et al. 2010; Onyeike et al. 2012; Aronow 2013; Rantung et al. 2014). In addition, previous study showed that hypercholesterolemia indicated a free-radical accumulation in the body. It might stimulate lipid peroxidation and lead to oxidative stress, which can be determined by measuring one of the parameters i.e. malondialdehyde (MDA). One of the causes of hypercholesterolemia is the low intake of essential fatty acids in the body due to unhealthy dietary pattern, obesity, and low physical activity (Malik et al. 2013). Essential fatty acids play an important role in human physiological processes. They have been proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerosis effects, besides their effects on immunity and intelligence. Some studies suggest that essential fatty acid deficiency in the body may affect brain function and mental health (Mulder et al, 2014). Food sources containing high amount of essential fatty acids are the ones of marine origin (seafood) laut (Basmal, 2010). Seafood is known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is beneficial in reducing triglyceride levels and blood pressure (Inga-Britt, 2004). Besides fresh fish flesh, fish oil as the by product of fish-flour processing can also be an alternative source of essential fatty acids. Fish oil is known for its omega-3 and omega-6 contents, which are beneficial for health if consumed as a supplement ( Minis et al, 2006). In line with this, earlier study also suggested that catfish oil contained a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) (Srimiati, 2011). Several researchers stated that low content of omega-3 in the body had a significant association with hyperactivity, depression, aggression, and other cardiovascular diseases (Hibbeln et al, 2006). Therefore, it is necessary to provide food or alternative products as a solution for the availability of essential fatty acids. One of the products that can be used is fish oil. It is a derivative product of fish produced from the extraction of fish flour or canned fish, which can be produced either from seawater or freshwater fish. It may provide health and nutritional benefits (Irianto and Soesilo, 2007). Previous study stated that the global production of fish oil reached 1-1.25 million tons per year (Pike and Jackson, 2010). Potency development of freshwater fish oil increases along with the discovery of numerous studies, which prove that the oil’s content has a great potential and it is quite competitive with seawater fish oil. The freshwater fish commonly used in fish oil production is catfish (Clarias gariepinus). It is easily found in Indonesia and is one of freshwater fish farming commodities, which is favored by people. Catfish production reached 758,455 tonsin 2013 with a mean increase of 47.21% from 2010. It is predicted to keep increasing with a target production of 840,000 tons in 2014 (Direktorat Jenderal Perikanan Budidaya, 2013).