• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.7
• /
• pp.953-960
• /
• 2015

This study evaluated the effects of Rubus coreanus Miq. oil on the plasma lipid profile of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10). After completion of the 5-week experimental period, we measured bodyweight gain, food intake, adipose tissue mass, and plasma lipid profile. We also analyzed the activities of carnitine and superoxide dismutase (SOD) involved in ${\beta}$-oxidation and antioxidation, respectively. Our results show that HFD-induced weight gain in animals in the R. coreanus Miq. oil diet group (RCO) and corn oil diet group (CO) was significantly lower compared to animals in the HFD group; RCO supplementation had a more noticeable effect than CO. Visceral and back fat weights were lower in the RCO and CO groups while plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL-C per total cholesterol [HDL-C/TC (%)] ratio were significantly higher in the RCO group. The contents of acid-soluble acylcarnitine and total carnitine as well as SOD activation were significantly higher in the RCO group, but no significant difference was observed between the RCO and CO groups. In conclusion, RCO effectively averted elevation of total body weight and fat weight in HFD-induced obese mice and promoted increased HDL-C. Therefore, R. coreanus Miq. oil might play an anti-obesity role in obese people and could be used as an effective oil supplement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.44 no.7
• /
• pp.961-969
• /
• 2015

To investigate the effect of n-3 fatty acid from Bokbunja (Rubus coreanus Miq.) seed oil (BSO), we examined improvement of plasma triglycerides and cholesterol in vivo. Five-week-old ICR mice were divided into five groups of six mice each; Control, high fat diet (HFD) control (negative control), salmon oil control (positive control, HFD+commercial n-3 fatty acid), and BSO experimental groups (HFD+1 g/60 kg BW/d, HFD+2 g/60 kg BW/d). After 4 weeks of BSO treatment, we measured serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The levels of low-density lipoprotein/very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and total cholesterol were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the group fed BSO at 2 g/60 kg BW/d compared to the negative control. Levels of triglycerides, which are similar to cholesterol, were also significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the same group. To investigate further, we tested blood coagulation parameters. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) were not significantly different among the five groups according to BSO. However, the 2 g/60 kg BW/d BSO group treated with PT and aPTT showed a tendency to live longer than the negative control. Taken together, BSO might improve blood homeostasis mediated via hypo-lipidemic and anti-coagulation activities.