**Aneta Kope´c 1, Jerzy Zawistowski <sup>2</sup> and David D. Kitts 2,\***


Academic Editors: H. P. Vasantha Rupasinghe and Celestino Santos-Buelga Received: 8 October 2020; Accepted: 15 November 2020; Published: 17 November 2020

**Abstract:** Background**:** This study reports on the relative effects of administrating a cyanidin-3-*O*-glucoside-rich black rice fraction (BRF), a standardized wood sterol mixture (WS), and a combination of both to lower plasma and target tissue lipid concentrations in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats fed atherogenic diets. Methods**:** Male WKY (*n* = 40) rats were randomly divided into five groups, which included a nonatherogenic control diet and atherogenic diets that included a positive control and atherogenic diets supplemented with BRF or WS, respectively, and a combination of both BRF + WS. Plasma and target tissue liver, heart and aorta cholesterol, and triacylglycerides (TAG) content were also measured. Results**:** Rats fed atherogenic diets exhibited elevated hyperlipidemia compared to counterparts fed nonatherogenic diets (*p* < 0.001); this effect was mitigated by supplementing the atherogenic diets with BRF and WS, respectively (*p* < 0.05). Combining BRF with WS to enrich the supplement lowered cholesterol similar to the WS effect (*p* < 0.05) and lowered TAG characteristic to the BRF effect (*p* < 0.05). Conclusions**:** Rats fed diets containing BRF or WS effectively mitigate the hypercholesterolemia and elevated TAG induced by feeding an atherogenic diet. The benefit of adding BRF + WS together is relevant to the lipid parameter measured and is target tissue-specific.

**Keywords:** black rice cyanidin-3-*O*-glucoside; wood sterols; dyslipidemia; CVD
