Effects of the Polysaccharide from the Sporophyll of Brown Alga Undaria Pinnatifida on Serum Lipid Profile and Fat Tissue Accumulation in Rats Fed a High‐Fat Diet

We investigated the effects of the polysaccharide from the sporophyll of a selected brown alga Undaria pinnatifida on serum lipid profile, fat tissue accumulation, and gastrointestinal transit time in rats fed a high‐fat diet. The algal polysaccharide (AP) was prepared by the treatment of multiple cellulase‐producing fungi Trichoderma reesei and obtained from the sporophyll with a yield of 38.7% (dry basis). The AP was mostly composed of alginate and fucoidan (up to 89%) in a ratio of 3.75:1. The AP was added to the high‐fat diet in concentrations of 0.6% and 1.7% and was given to male Sprague–Dawley rats (5‐wk‐old) for 5 wk. The 1.7% AP addition notably reduced body weight gain and fat tissue accumulation, and it improved the serum lipid profile, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, and very low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol. The effects were associated with increased feces weight and shortened gastrointestinal transit time. In addition, the lipid peroxidation of the liver was decreased in both groups.     

Effects of Myricetin‐Containing Ethanol Solution on High‐Fat Diet Induced Obese Rats

Myricetin is a natural flavonol widely occurring in wines. Many beneficial effects of myricetin in alcoholic beverages have been reported before, but never including anti‐obesity. In the present study, we fed obese male Sprague–Dawley rats with ethanol solutions containing various concentrations of myricetin and found that myricetin may maintain the food intake while reduce the weight‐gain, feed efficiency, level of blood lipids, adipocyte size, and weight and size of the perirenal and epididymal adipose tissues (P < 0.01). Our experiment data also show that the anti‐obesity effect may be associated with the upregulation of adropin and β‐endorphin levels. Based on the above‐described findings, we propose the potential for myricetin‐containing alcoholic beverages to be developed into anti‐obesity health food.     

Rosemary Extract‐Mediated Lifespan Extension and Attenuated Oxidative Damage in Drosophila melanogaster Fed on High‐Fat Diet

Rosemary extract has a potent antioxidant activity and is widely used in the food industry. In this study, the lifespan prolonging and antioxidant activity of rosemary extract was evaluated by high‐fat‐induced oxidative damage in Drosophila melanogaster. The results revealed that the lifespan and climbing ability of fruit flies was enhanced significantly by feeding rosemary extract. Furthermore, feeding with rosemary extract significantly increased the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and significantly decreased the level of malonaldehyde. The gene expression of SOD, CAT, and nuclear factor erythroid‐2 related factor 2 was enhanced and that for methuselah was significantly reduced. The comet assay showed that high‐fat diet‐induced DNA lesion was significantly reduced in larvae treated with the rosemary extract. Our results suggest that feeding with rosemary extract is effective to the extended lifespan in fruit flies by strengthening of the resistance to high‐fat‐induced oxidative stress and by stimulating, at least in part, the endogenous antioxidant response.     

Salvianolic Acid B Inhibits High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Inflammation by Activating the Nrf2 Pathway

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) is a major water‐soluble bioactive component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which is a traditional Chinese medicine. We investigated the ways in which Sal B affects high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced immunological function disorder remission using a C57BL/6 mouse model. We gave groups of C57BL/6 mice a normal diet (Control), a normal diet supplemented with Sal B (Control + Sal B), a high‐fat diet (HF), and a high‐fat diet supplemented with Sal B (HF + Sal B) for 10 wk. Sal B supplementation decreased the body weight and plasma lipids, increased the fecal excretion of lipids, prevented the accumulation of chronic oxidative stress, and reversed the disproportionality of CD3⁺CD4⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes compared to HFD. We found an increase in IL‐6 and TNF‐α, while IL‐10 decreased in plasma after the HFD and Sal B reversed the deregulation of the Thl/Th2 ratio. In addition, HFD‐induced inflammation was stopped by Sal B through the downregulation of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), and inducible NO synthesis (iNOS), and the upregulation of nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)‐regulated genes. These findings demonstrated that Sal B could effectively attenuate inflammation by activating the Nrf2‐mediated antioxidant defense system.     

Salicornia Extract Ameliorates Salt‐Induced Aggravation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Mice Fed a High‐Fat Diet

High‐fat and high‐salt intakes are among the major risks of chronic diseases including obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Salicornia is a halophytic plant known to exert antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic effects, and Salicornia‐extracted salt (SS) has been used as a salt substitute. In this study, the effects of SS and purified salt (PS) on the aggravation of NAFLD/NASH were compared. C57BL/6J male mice (8‐wk‐old) were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 6 mo and divided into 3 dietary groups, which were additionally fed HFD, HFD + SS, and HFD + PS for 13 wk. PS induced aggravation of NAFLD/NASH in HFD‐fed mice. Although the actual salt intake was same between the PS and SS groups as 1% of the diet (extrapolated from the World Health Organization [WHO] guideline), SS induced less liver injury and hepatic steatosis compared to PS. The hepatic mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines and fibrosis marker were significantly lower in the SS group than the PS group. Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of inflammation in NAFLD/NASH. Results of the component analysis showed that the major polyphenols that exhibited antioxidant activity in the Salicornia water extract were ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and isorhamnetin. These results suggest that even the level of salt intake recommended by WHO can accelerate the progression of liver disease in obese individuals consuming HFD. It is proposed that SS can be a salt substitute for obese individuals who consume HFD.     

The Contribution of Modern Margarine and Fat Spreads to Dietary Fat Intake

The study of dietary fat consumption and its resultant effects on human health has been one of the most investigated topics in the field of human nutrition. Based on the results obtained from such studies, specific dietary recommendations on fat intake (both in terms of quantity and quality) have been established by health organizations around the globe. Among the various food industry sectors, the margarine manufacturers have also responded to these guidelines and now offer improved formulations with a desirable balance of fat contents and fat types. The main aim of this article is to provide an overview on how these modern margarines can contribute towards reaching the dietary guidelines relating to fat intake. In particular, the dietary recommendations with respect to the specific fatty acid types are comprehensively detailed along with an emphasis on the role of modern margarines in providing balanced fat types (more polyunsaturated fats, less saturated fats and a near‐complete absence of trans fats) in the daily diet.     

大豆不溶性膳食纤维对高脂饮食诱导小鼠肥胖的预防作用

目的:研究大豆不溶性膳食纤维(Soybean insoluble dietary fiber,SIDF)对高脂饮食(High fat diet,HFD)诱导小鼠肥胖的预防作用及其机理。方法:将50只C57BL/6J小鼠随机分为正常饮食对照组(Normal diet,ND)、高脂饮食对照组(HFD)和大豆不溶性膳食纤维低(Low-dose soybean insoluble dietary fiber,LSIDF)(250 mg/kg BW/d)、中(Middle-dose soybean insoluble dietary fiber,MSIDF)(500 mg/kg BW/d)、高剂量组(High-dose soybean insoluble dietary fiber,HSIDF)(1 g/kg BW/d),ND组饲喂正常饲料,其余各组饲喂高脂饲料,连续喂养20周。实验结束后统计体质量、肝脏和脂肪湿质量,制作肝脏组织病理切片,测定血清及肝脏脂质水平,实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应测定小鼠肝脏中脂代谢相关基因表达水平。结果:与HFD组比,SIDF各剂量组可显著减缓小鼠体重增加,降低其血清和肝脏中总胆固醇(Total cholesterol,TC)、甘油三酯(Triglyceride,TG)水平(P<0.05),并且HSIDF组效果优于LSIDF、MSIDF组;小鼠肝脏指数(P<0.05)和脂肪系数(P<0.001)显著降低,其中MSIDF和HSIDF组小鼠腹部脂肪(P<0.001)和肾周脂肪重量(P<0.001)显著减少;HSIDF组显著下调小鼠肝脏中脂肪酸合成酶(Fatty acid synthase,FAS)、二酰甘油酰基转移酶1(Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1,DGAT1)、二酰甘油酰基转移酶2(Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2,DGAT2)、硬脂酰辅酶A去饱和酶1(Stearyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase-1,SCD1)基因表达水平(P<0.05),同时上调过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体α(Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-α,PPARα)、肉毒碱棕榈酰基转移酶1a(Carnitine palmtoyl transferase-1a,CPT1a)基因表达水平(P<0.05)。结论:IDFS对HFD诱导小鼠肥胖具有预防作用,可能与减少脂质合成,加快脂肪酸氧化有关,其可作为一种潜在的膳食补充剂。