本研究係以糙薏仁萃取的水溶性多醣（AWSP）及其再以40%乙醇區分出之高分子量薏仁水溶性多醣（AWSPH）和低分子量薏仁水溶性多醣（AWSPL）的區分物作為試驗材料，旨在探討這些薏仁水溶性多醣區分物對倉鼠的血漿與肝臟脂質的效果。結果顯示以薏仁的水溶性多醣（AWSP）取代纖維素（控制組）為纖維來源的高脂飼料餵食倉鼠，具有顯著性的降脂效果，其可降低血漿和肝臟脂質含量，降低血漿低密度脂蛋白膽固醇含量。高分子量薏仁水溶性多醣較低分子量薏仁水溶性多醣具有更好的降血漿脂質效果，這可能與其具有較大分子量和水合力有關，因為高分子量薏仁水溶性多醣更能促進糞便脂質排出。而低分子量薏仁水溶性多醣較高分子量薏仁水溶性多醣具有更好的腸道發酵與降低肝臟脂質能力，這可能與其盲腸中短鏈脂肪酸含量較多有關。高、低分子量薏仁水溶性多醣的分子量分別為14.5和8.7 × 104 Daltons。

To investigate the physicochemical propertites of the water-soluble polysaccharide enriched fractions of adlay (Coix lachrymajobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) and their hypolipidemic effects, we fed the enriched fraction adlay water-soluble dietary polysaccharide (AWSP) to hamsters to evaluate the effects of AWSP on serum and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The AWSP used was extracted from dehulled adlay and its high- and low-molecular weight fractions (AWSPH and AWSPL, respectively) and prepared by 40% ethanol concentration fractionation. Hamsters fed with AWSP showed serum / hepatic total cholesterol, triglyceride and serum LDL cholesterol levels significantly lower than those in the cellulose control group. We found higher serum hypolipidemic activities associated with AWSPH than with AWSPL, which were correlated with AWSPH’s higher molecular weight and water-holding capacity. Fecal lipids data supported our theory that the hypolipidemic activities of AWSPH decrease cholesterol absorption in the intestines. We found ASDFL to be relatively more fermentable in cecum and to have higher hepatic hypolipidemic activities than AWSPH, which correlated with the amount of short-chain fatty acid in cecum. The apparent molecular-weights of AWSPH and AWSPL were 14.5 and 8.7 × 104 Daltons, respectively