Treatment with buckwheat bran extract prevents the elevation of serum triglyceride levels and fatty liver in KK-Ay mice.

Buckwheat powder or protein has been shown to decrease the total serum cholesterol level in non-diabetic mice or rats. However, the lipid-lowering effect of buckwheat bran extract (BBE) in diabetic mice has not been fully elucidated. KK-Ay mice that received six-week treatment with BBE showed decreased body weight and liver weight compared to those of control (vehicle) mice. However, there was no significant difference in food intake. BBE treatments prevented liver triglyceride accumulation and decreased the serum level of triglycerides. In addition, mRNA expression levels lipogenic enzyme genes, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-coenzyme a oxidase and stearyl-coenzyme a desaturase 1, but not those of β-oxidized enzyme genes, were decreased in BBE-treated mice. Level of transcription factors ChREBP and SREBP1c, transcripts of lipogenic genes, were also decreased in BBE-treated mice. These results suggest that chronic treatment with BBE derivatives could have beneficial effects on hypertriglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.