Trans fats are considered as dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, phenolic compounds are considered to prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease. This study investigated the effect of low‐trans fat containing phenolic compound on plasma lipid metabolism in C57BL/6J mice. We produced low trans fat (LT), LT containing monoglyceride (MG) and MG containing catechin (CT). Thirty male 4‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 3 groups; fed LT, MG, CT diet based on AIN‐76 diet (5% fat) for 12 weeks. Blood‐glucose level was significantly lower in the CT group than in the LT and MG groups. Plasma total‐cholesterol concentration in the MG group was significantly lower than in the LT and CT groups. Plasma triglyceride concentration was significantly lower in the CT group compared to the LT and MG groups. In organ weights, although there was no significance, epididymal and perirenal adipose tissue weights in the LT group seemed to be lower than in the MG and CT groups. In conclusion, the supplementation of low‐trans fat containing containing phenolic compound, catechin, was effective for lowering the blood‐glucose level and plasma triglyceride concentration in C57BL/6J mice.
Zn is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in the synthesis of various bone matrix constituents, thus it stimulates bone mineralization in vivo and in vitro. We determined whether zinc would affect extracellular matrix mineralization and bone-related gene and transcription factor Runx2 expression. Leptin receptor gene expression was also measured, since leptin is thought to be a negative effector for bone formation, although this is still controversial. Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured at 0 to 15 μM ZnCl2 (Zn- or Zn+) at different time intervals. Extracellular matrix mineralization was detected by staining for calcium deposits using Alizarin Red and von Kossa stains, and for alkaline phosphatase using ALP stain. Extracellular matrix mineralization and ALPstain were increased in the zinc conc- and time-dependent manners. Bone-related proteins (ALP, osteocalcin, osteopontin and PTH receptor) and Runx2 gene expressions were also increased by conc- and time-dependent manners. Results indicated that zinc increased extracellular matrix mineralization, bone-related gene and Runx2 expression in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The study results also promote further study of the interaction between zinc and leptin in bone formation. (This work was supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, R05-2004-000-11036-0)
We investigated the effect of curcumin on insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis in male C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice and their age-matched lean non-diabetic db/+ mice. Both db/+ and db/db mice were fed with or without curcumin (0.02%, wt/wt) for 6 wks. Curcumin significantly lowered blood glucose and HbA 1c levels, and it suppressed body weight loss in db/db mice. Curcumin improved homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, and elevated the plasma insulin level in db/db mice. Hepatic glucokinase activity was significantly higher in the curcumin-supplemented db/db group than in the db/db group, whereas glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were significantly lower. In db/db mice, curcumin significantly lowered the hepatic activities of fatty acid synthase, beta-oxidation, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme reductase, and acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase. Curcumin significantly lowered plasma free fatty acid, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations and increased the hepatic glycogen and skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase in db/db mice. Curcumin normalized erythrocyte and hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, gluthathione peroxidase) in db/db mice that resulted in a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation. However, curcumin showed no effect on the blood glucose, plasma insulin, and glucose regulating enzyme activities in db/+ mice. These results suggest that curcumin seemed to be a potential glucose-lowering agent and antioxidant in type 2 diabetic db/db mice, but had no affect in non-diabetic db/+ mice.
An ethanol extract of fucoxanthin-rich seaweed was examined for its effectiveness as a nutraceutical for body fat-lowering agent and for an antiobese effect based on mode of actions in C57BL/6J mice. Animals were randomized to receive a semi-purified high-fat diet (20% dietary fat, 10% corn oil and 10% lard) supplemented with 0.2% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as the positive control, 1.43% or 5.72% fucoxanthin-rich seaweed ethanol extract (Fx-SEE), equivalent to 0.05% or 0.2% dietary fucoxanthin for six weeks. Results showed that supplementation with both doses of Fx-SEE significantly reduced body and abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) weights, plasma and hepatic triglyceride (TG), and/or cholesterol concentrations compared to the high-fat control group. Activities of adipocytic fatty acid (FA) synthesis, hepatic FA and TG synthesis, and cholesterol-regulating enzyme were also lowered by Fx-SEE supplement. Concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fecal TG and cholesterol, as well as FA oxidation enzyme activity and UCP1 mRNA expression in epididymal WAT were significantly higher in the Fx-SEE groups than in the high-fat control group. CLA treatment reduced the body weight gain and plasma TG concentration. Overall, these results indicate that Fx-SEE affects the plasma and hepatic lipid profile, fecal lipids and body fat mass, and alters hepatic cholesterol metabolism, FA synthesis and lipid absorption.
Abstract This study was performed to investigate the lipid‐lowering, antioxidant, and hepato‐protective effects of pinitol in dose‐dependent manners in hamsters fed‐high fat and high cholesterol (HFHC) diet. Pinitol supplementation (0.05%, P‐I and 0.1% pinitol, P‐II) with an HFHC diet (10% coconut oil plus 0.2% cholesterol) for 10 wks significantly lowered the white adipose tissue weights, hepatic lipid droplets, plasma glucose, total‐cholesterol, nonHDL‐cholesterol, total‐cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio, and hepatic lipid levels. Whereas it significantly increased the brown adipose tissue weight, plasma HDL‐cholesterol, apolipoprotein A‐I (apo A‐I) concentrations, paraoxonase (PON) activity, and/or mRNA expression, compared to the HFHC control group. Plasma insulin and adiponectin levels were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in both P‐I and P‐II groups than the HFHC control group. Dietary pinitol significantly inhibited hepatic HMG‐CoA reductase, acyl‐CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) activities without altering their mRNA expressions compared to the control group. Pinitol significantly elevated the hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas it also significantly reduced the hepatic lipid peroxide and H 2 O 2 production. Accordingly, these results indicate that both 0.05 and 0.1% pinitol supplementation may improve the lipid and antioxidant metabolism in HFHC diet‐fed hamsters. In particular, pinitol supplementation was very effective on the elevation of antiatherogenic factors, including plasma HDL‐cholesterol, apo A‐I, adiponectin, and PON.
Porous matrices of biodegradable polymers, such as polyglycolide (PGA) or polylactide (PLA) can be used as scaffolds in bone tissue growth during bone repair process. These polymers are highly porous and serve as a template for the growth and organization of new bone tissue. We evaluated the effect of PGA and PLA polymers on osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell extracellular mineralization. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in one of the media containing 4 different biodegradable polymers (normal differentiation medium, PGA plate, PGA plate, PGA/fetal bovine serum(FBS) plate, and FBS plate) and examined the cell morphology. Cell layer was stained using Alizarin red stain for Ca deposit in extracellular matrix. During the culture, PGA plate was resorbed more efficiently than the PLA plate. On clarifying the PGA effect of binding medium or cellular Ca, PGA plate might hold osteoblasts within the plate placement and can be beneficial on the bone formation. PGA and PGA/FBS plate treatment showed better Ca deposits than other treatment although PLA plate treatment also showed reasonable Ca deposit. Cellular morphology showed that PGA/FBS plate treatment showed the most well-differentiated. The results suggest that PGA or PLA plate can be used as a biomaterial for osteoblastic extracellular matrix mineralization. (This work was supported by RIS project 2004-2007, Korea Ministry of Industry)
To investigate the body fat‐lowering, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of pinitol supplementation, we carried out to the animal experiment using mice fed high‐fat diet. In these results, 0.05% and 0.1% supplemenation of pinitol significantly suppressed the hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol accumulation, inhibited the hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis and conversion of storage form of cholesterol, and decreased hepatic fatty acid and/or triglyceride synthesis. And also antioxidant metabolism and hepatocytotoxicity were significantly improved by pinitol supplementation. Pinitol, however, did not affect the reduction of body weight or body fat weights, did not improve the plasma lipid profiles and insulin resistance. Accordingly, it is considered that soy pinitol supplementation is not significantly effective to the reduction of body weight and/or body fat, however, it is effective to the protection of hepatocyte and improvement of antioxidant metabolism compared to the HF group. In conclusion, the fucoxathin supplementation with a high‐fat diet seemed to be effective for suppressing body weight gain and for improving plasma and hepatic lipid metabolism in mice.
The anti-obesity effects of anthocyanin and carotenoid extracts from color-fleshed potatoes were studied with 3T3-L1 cells in vitro and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice in vivo. Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with anthocyanin and carotenoid extracts, respectively, after differentiation induction significantly inhibited fat accumulation by 63.1 and 83.5%. Studies of adipogenesis inhibition showed that the anthocyanin extract acts at intermediate stages, whereas the carotenoid extract influences all the stages. The extracts significantly diminished triglyceride (TG) content and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) protein expression during adipogenesis of the intermediate stage. Oral administration of anthocyanin and carotenoid extracts, respectively, to HFD-fed mice significantly reduced weight gain and restored TG levels to normal or lower as compared to the HFD-fed group with improvement of a lipid profile, TG to HDL-C ratio. Histological differences in liver tissues revealed that the extracts protected the liver tissue from adipogenesis by HFD fed. This research presents the first direct demonstration that the two pigment extracts from sweet potato exhibit anti-obesity activities. Practical applications Anthocyanins and carotenoids are the main pigments of purple- and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, respectively, which are highly nutritious foods with antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Obesity is a rapidly growing health problem that increases major risk factors of several serious diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The results of this research suggest that anthocyanin and carotenoid-rich extracts from color-fleshed sweet potatoes may be useful as supplementary ingredients for the treatment of obesity and related diseases.
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