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ABSTRACT: Several studies had indicated that the whole body of sea cucumber had beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. However, little information has been known on the individual functions of its bioactive components, and this study was undertaken to compare the different effects on improving lipid metabolism. The rats were assigned to seven groups: control, whole sea cucumber, saponins, polysaccharides, collagen peptides, dregs and non-saponin residues. After 28 d of feeding, the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and hepatic lipid concentrations were examined. The results indicated that a dietary saponin supplement significantly suppressed adipose accumulation, and reduced serum and hepatic lipids. Saponin proved to be more effective than the other isolated components, so is considered to be the main lipid-lowering component in sea cucumber. The possible mechanism by which saponins improved lipid metabolism was also investigated. The saponins of sea cucumber suppressed and delayed TG and TC absorption which could be related to the pancreatic lipase inhibiting effect of saponins. This may be an important mechanism to explain its lipid-lowering effect on rats.
Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry 12/2012; · 1.28 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To investigate the effect of sea cucumber cerebroside(SCC) and its long-chain base(LCB) on lipid and glucose metabolism in obese mice.
The mouse obese model was established by feeding high fat diet. The mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group, model group, SCC group and LCB group. After 4 weeks, the glucose tolerance test was undertaken. After 5 weeks, the body fat content, organic indexes, serum lipid level, glycemic index and liver lipid level were determined.
Compared with the model group, the glucose tolerance in the SCC group and LCB group was ameliorated significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05); glycemic index (P<0.01, P<0.01), the weight of adipose tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01) and the hepatic TG were reduced significantly (P<0.05, P<0.05).
Sea cucumber cerebroside and its long-chain base can improve the glucose and lipid metabolism in obese mice.
Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences 01/2012; 41(1):60-4.
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanism of orotic acid-induced fatty liver in rats.
Rats were randomly divided into two groups and fed an AIN-93 diet with 1% orotic acid or without orotic acid for 10 d. Hepatic lipid concentrations, such as triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and phospholipids, were examined. To clarify the mechanism of orotic acid-induced fatty liver, hepatic enzyme activities and mRNA levels of key enzymes related in lipid metabolism and hepatic gene expression of transcription factors were determined.
Orotic acid administration significantly increased hepatic triacylglycerol concentration. The activity and mRNA level of fatty acid synthase were obviously upregulated by orotic acid treatment, whereas the activities and mRNA concentrations of carnitine palmitoyl transferase and microsomal triacylglycerol transfer protein were significantly depressed. Furthermore, orotic acid stimulated the mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c but did not alter the mRNA concentration of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in the liver.
The stimulation of triacylglycerol synthesis induced by orotic acid is mainly caused by enhancement of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c and its target gene involved in fatty acid biosynthesis. In contrast, the inhibition of fatty acid β-oxidation and very-low-density lipoprotein secretion were related to the observed lipid accumulation.
Nutrition 12/2010; 27(5):571-5. · 3.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To investigate the effect of sea cucumber cerebroside (SCC) on the lipid metabolism in rats with orotic acid-induced fatty liver.
The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model was established by adding orotic acid to the diets in rats. The rats were randomly assigned to four groups:control group, NAFLD group, NAFLD + low SCC group and NAFLD + high SCC group. After 10 days of feeding, the serum and hepatic lipid concentrations and the aminopherase activities were measured; the composition of hepatic fatty acids was also analyzed.
The serum TC and TG levels reduced significantly in the NAFLD group as compared with the controls (P<0.05), while the sea cucumber cereborside feeding raised the serum lipid concentrations (P<0.05). The hepatic TC and TG levels dramatically increased in the NAFLD group in comparison with the controls (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the hepatic lipid accumulations decreased in both SCC groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The ALT and AST activities in the NAFLD group increased markedly when compared with the controls (P<0.05, P <0.01), while the sea cucumber cerebroside feeding attenuated the hepatic injury levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity increased significantly in the NAFLD group (P<0.05), but decreased in SCC groups (P<0.05).
Sea cucumber cerebroside can attenuate the rat fatty liver induced by orotic acid.
Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences 09/2010; 39(5):493-8.
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ABSTRACT: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, and is becoming increasingly prevalent. Saponins of sea cucumber (SSC) are proven to exhibit various biological activities. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the effect of saponins extracted from sea cucumber (Pearsonothuria graeffei) on the preventive activity of fatty liver in rats.
Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, including normal control group, fatty liver model group, SSC-treated group with SSC at levels of 0.01%, 0.03% and 0.05%. Model rats were established by administration with 1% orotic acid (OA). After the experiment period, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and hepatic lipid concentrations were determined. To search for a possible mechanism, we examined the changes of key enzymes and transcriptional factors involved in hepatic lipids biosynthesis, fatty acid beta-oxidation.
Both 0.03% and 0.05% SSC treatment alleviated hepatic steatosis and reduced serum TG and TC concentration significantly in OA fed rats. Hepatic lipogenic enzymes, such as fatty acid synthase (FAS), malic enzyme (ME), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activities were inhibited by SSC treatment. SSC also decreased the gene expression of FAS, ME, G6PDH and sterol-regulatory element binding protein (SREBP-1c). Otherwise, the rats feeding with SSC showed increased carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) activity in the liver. Hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARalpha), together with its target gene CPT and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO) mRNA expression were also upregulated by SSC.
According to our study, the lipids-lowering effect of dietary SSC may be partly associated with the enhancement of beta-oxidation via PPARalpha activation. In addition, the inhibited SREBP-1c- mediated lipogenesis caused by SSC may also contribute to alleviating fatty liver.
Lipids in Health and Disease 03/2010; 9:25. · 2.17 Impact Factor