Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Several studies have shown that some lactobacillus strains can reduce cholesterol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus fermentum isolated from the traditional yogurt on body weight and lipid trends in rats fed with a high-fat diet.
 
Materials & methods: Forty male rats (200±20 gr) were randomly divided into four groups. Rats in the first group received normal diet (N), the second group consumed normal diet with fermented milk containing L. fermentum (N-L), the third group received a high-fat diet to induce hypercholesterolemia (HF), and the fourth group were fed in a high-fat diet with fermented milk containing L. fermentum (HF-L). After 8 weeks, body weights and lipid metabolisms were measured.
 
Findings: In the rats fed with a high-fat diet of fermented milk containing L. fermentum (HF-L), serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides levels were significantly lower than that of the group fed with a high-fat diet without probiotic supplementation (HF), whereas the serum HDL-C level significantly increased (p 0.05). However, mean levels of serum cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, and HDL-C were not markedly different among the N groups (N, N-L). Also, the gain in body weight of the HF group was significantly heavier than that of the HF-L group (p 0.01).
 
Discussion & conclusions: This study suggests that consumption of milk fermented by L. fermentum improves serum lipid trends in rats by lowering serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C levels, as well as by increasing HDL-C level. It also plays a role in the prevention of obesity induced by a high-fat diet.