ABSTRACT
The effects of resistant starch (RS) in dry potato powders prepared by various processes on intestinal fermentation in rats were assessed. Rats were fed raw potato powder (RP), blanched potato powder (BP), steamed potato powder (SP), or drum-dried potato powder (DP) for 4 weeks. The cecal RS content was significantly higher in the RP group than in the control diet (CN) group and other dry potato powder groups. Cecum pH was significantly lower in the RP group compared to the CN group, and was also significantly lower than that in the SP, BP, and DP groups. Lactic acid bacteria levels in the RP group were significantly higher than those in the CN group, and levels in the SP group also increased relative to the control group. Lactobacillus levels in the RP group were higher than in the CN and other dry potato powder groups. Cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations in the RP group followed by the SP group exhibited significantly higher levels relative to the control levels. Dry potato powders containing RS produced during the cooking process may represent a useful food material that increases intestinal concentrations of SCFA and enhances the growth of certain lactic acid bacteria.
Subject(s)
Cooking , Fermentation , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Solanum tuberosum/chemistry , Starch/analysis , Animals , Body Weight , Cecum/metabolism , Cecum/microbiology , Eating , Fatty Acids/chemistry , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Intestines/microbiology , Male , Plant Proteins/analysis , Powders , Rats , Starch/metabolismABSTRACT
The effects of two types of mushroom (Agaricus bisporus; white, WM; brown, BM) powders on intestinal fermentation in rats were investigated in terms of the physical characteristics of animals and by bacterial and HPLC analyses of cecal contents. Short-chain fatty acid levels were found to be significantly higher in the WM group than in the BM and the control (CN) groups; coliform bacteria levels in the BM group were significantly lower than those in the CN group, with the WM group inducing an apparent but insignificant decrease in coliforms. Anaerobe levels in the WM group were significantly higher than those in the CN group and, compared with the CN group, the BM and WM groups exhibited significantly increased feces weight and cecum weight, respectively. These results indicate that the mushroom powders, and in particular the WM powder, have beneficial effects on the intestinal environment in rats.
Subject(s)
Agaricus/chemistry , Cecum/drug effects , Cecum/metabolism , Fermentation/drug effects , Animals , Body Weight/drug effects , Cecum/chemistry , Cecum/microbiology , Eating/drug effects , Fatty Acids/chemistry , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Liver/drug effects , Liver/growth & development , Liver/metabolism , Male , Organ Size/drug effects , Powders , RatsABSTRACT
L-cysteine works as a precursor of the antioxidant, glutathione. We investigated the effects of L-cysteine (1% and 2%) on lipid metabolism and the antioxidative system in rats fed a normal diet. Administering L-cysteine dependently decreased the food intake, fat mass weight and body weight dose. Dietary L-cysteine also decreased the triglyceride levels in the serum and liver. However, there were no significant differences in the hepatic TBARS and glutathione (GSH) levels among the groups. The activities of catalase and glutathione reductase in the rats receiving 2% L-cysteine were significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the control rats. These results suggest that dietary L-cysteine dose-dependently affected the antioxidative enzyme activities, and the lipid levels in the serum and liver which might be related to the reduced food intake.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Cysteine/pharmacology , Diet , Lipid Metabolism/drug effects , Animals , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Body Weight/drug effects , Chickens , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Eating/drug effects , Glutathione/metabolism , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects , Liver/anatomy & histology , Liver/drug effects , Liver/metabolism , Male , Organ Size/drug effects , Rats , Triglycerides/blood , Triglycerides/metabolismABSTRACT
The effects of betaine supplementation on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model mice were examined by measuring the accumulation of fat in the livers of NASH model mice compared to a control. Betaine from sugar beets was provided to the model mice as a dietary supplement. After 3 wk of dietary supplementation, there were no significant differences in body weight or liver weight between the groups. However, the liver to body weight ratio in the high-fat diet with betaine (HFB) group was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that in the high-fat diet (HF) group. There were no differences in serum triglyceride (TG) concentrations, AST and ALT activities, or hepatic glutathione concentrations between the groups. Hepatic TG level in the HFB group was significantly (p<0.05) lower than that in the HF group. Hepatic cells obtained from the HF group showed increased occurrence of explosive puff and necrosis as compared with those in the HFB group. Betaine supplementation had an inhibitory effect on fat accumulation in the liver: the Oil red-positive area in the HFB group (0.82 ± 0.85%) was significantly (p<0.001) smaller than that in the HF group (9.06 ± 2.24%). These results indicate the potential of betaine to serve as an agent for amelioration of hepatic steatosis in NASH model mice.
Subject(s)
Betaine/pharmacology , Dietary Supplements , Fatty Liver/drug therapy , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Animals , Body Weight , Diet, High-Fat , Dietary Fats/administration & dosage , Disease Models, Animal , Glutamyl Aminopeptidase/blood , Glutathione/analysis , Hepatocytes/drug effects , Hepatocytes/metabolism , Liver/drug effects , Liver/metabolism , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Organ Size , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
The effects of betaine supplementation on D-galactosamine-induced liver injury were examined in terms of hepatic and serum enzyme activities and of the levels of glutathione and betaine-derived intermediates. The rats induced with liver injury showed marked increases in serum enzyme activity, but those receiving dietary supplementation of 1% betaine showed enzyme activity levels similar to a control group without liver injury. Administration of betaine also increased both hepatic and serum glutathione levels, even following D-galactosamine injection. The activity of glutathione-related enzymes was markedly decreased following injection of D-galactosamine, but remained comparable to that of the control group in rats receiving 1% betaine. The concentrations of hepatic S-adenosyl methionine and cysteine showed similar trends to that observed for hepatic glutathione levels. These results indicate that 1% betaine has a hepatoprotective effect by increasing hepatic and serum glutathione levels along with glutathione-related enzyme activities in rats.
Subject(s)
Beta vulgaris/chemistry , Betaine/administration & dosage , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy , Glutathione/metabolism , Liver/drug effects , Adenosylhomocysteinase/drug effects , Adenosylhomocysteinase/metabolism , Alanine Transaminase/drug effects , Alanine Transaminase/metabolism , Alkaline Phosphatase/drug effects , Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism , Animals , Aspartate Aminotransferases/drug effects , Aspartate Aminotransferases/metabolism , Beta vulgaris/metabolism , Dietary Supplements , Galactosamine , Glutathione/drug effects , Glutathione Peroxidase/drug effects , Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism , Glutathione Transferase/drug effects , Glutathione Transferase/metabolism , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/drug effects , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Male , Molasses , Rats , S-Adenosylmethionine/drug effects , S-Adenosylmethionine/metabolismABSTRACT
We examined the effects of fermented bean pastes derived from bean vinegar by-products on serum cholesterol in rats. The rats were fed boiled paste from adzuki (A), kintoki (K), or tebou (T), or fermented paste from adzuki (AP), kintoki (KP), or tebou (TP) for 4 weeks. The serum non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in all the experimental groups, except for A group, were significantly lower than in the control (CN) group. Likewise, the serum triglyceride levels in K and all the fermented bean groups were significantly lower than in the CN group. The levels of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase mRNA in all the experimental groups except for A were significantly lower than in the CN group. These findings indicate that fermented bean pastes also suppress cholesterol synthesis, resulting in a reduced serum cholesterol concentration. These effects might be related not only to the resistant starch but also to the protein or peptide in the fermented bean paste.
