ABSTRACT
Objective: to evaluate the effects of green tea on serum total cholesterol and triglycerides of mice on high fat diet
Material and Methods: sixty adult mice, Balb-C strain were selected and divided into three groups. The control group was given standard laboratory diet throughout the study. In experimental group A, the study was carried o t in two phases. In the first phase, hepatic steatosis was induced by high fat diet containing 4 percent cholesterol powder and 40 percent butter fat for six weeks. In the second phase, experimental group was given normal diet with 1 percent green tea over a period of next six weeks. The experimental group B was given high fat diet containing 4 percent cholesterol powder and 40 percent butter fat with 1 percent green tea over a period of twelve weeks. Ten mice in each were sacrificed at six weeks and remaining ten was sacrificed at twelve weeks
Results: high fat diet for six weeks produced significant hepatic steatosis, evident on histological analysis. When experimental group A [induction phase] with high fat diet was compared with the [reversal phase] on normal diet and green tea, statistically significant difference [p<0.05] was noted in terms of biochemical parameters [serum total cholesterol and triglycerides]. Green tea affected all biochemical parameters in experimental group B, which though reduced never reached the control value and remained somewhat elevated
Conclusion: green tea protects against the development of hepatic steatosis and reduces hepatic injury in mice