EN
Golden delicious apples were separated for peels and pulp, dietary fibre content and some bioactive compounds were determined. Rats were fed a semipurified or LSM diet with or without the addition of cholesterol and 5% of apple peels or pulp, feed, and digestibility and lipid profiles in plasma were estimated. Apple peels were a better source of dietary fibre and bioactive compounds that had an influence on its TRAP value than apple pulp. Freeze-dried apple peels and pulp decreased protein digestibility but significantly affected the plasma lipid profile, expressed by a lowering of total cholesterol and LDL-C fraction contents only in rats fed a diet with cholesterol were noted. The high content of biologically active compounds in apples makes it preferable for dietary prevention of atherosclerosis and other diseases.