• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.25-38
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• 2005

In order to investigate the effect of dietary zinc and phytic acid levels on enzyme activity and lipid metabolism in rats, male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing approximately 60-74g, were fed different diets which contained 0, 0.35 or $1.05\%$ phytic acid each at 3 levels of zinc (0, 30 and 1500ppm zinc) for 28 days. Body weight gain, food consumption, and food efficiency ratio were lower in the rats fed a zinc deficient diet (0ppm zinc) than those consuming 30 or 1500ppm dietary zinc. The activities of GOT, GPT and alkaline phosphatase were lower in the rats consuming 30ppm zinc than those fed 0 or 1500ppm zinc diet. The activity of GOT was increased in rats consuming $0.35\%$ phytic acid, whereas that of alkaline phosphatase was decreased in the rats fed phytic acid-containing diet. The concentration of phospholipid in serum was higher in rats fed $0.35\%$ dietary phytic acid, whereas that of liver phospholipid was higher in zinc deficient groups, and increased by addition of dietary phytic acid. The concentration of triglyceride in serum from rats fed 30ppm zinc was lower than those fed 0 or 1500ppm zinc On the other hand, liver triglyceride was higher in both the rats fed 30ppm zinc and $0.35\%$ phytic acid. The concentration of serum total cholesterol was lower in the rats fed 30ppm zinc diet, and it was increased by addition of dietary phytic acid. But liver total cholesterol was higher in 30ppm zinc group. HDL-cholesterol in serum was the highest in both rats consuming 30ppm zinc and $0.35\%$ dietary phytic acid, and the ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol was higher in rats consuming 30ppm zinc diet. In conclusion, we suggest that coronary heart disease or liver disease can be prevented with phytic acid in rats which are fed the high zinc diet.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.240-246
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• 2008

Cassia tora L. seeds have previously been reported to reduce blood glucose level in human and animals with diabetes. In the present study, the effects of Cassia tora L. seed butanol fraction (CATO) were studied on postprandial glucose control and insulin secretion from the pancreas of the normal and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by an i.p. injection of Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg BW) into the male Sprague-Dawley rats. The postprandial glucose control was monitored during a 240 min-period using a maltose loading test. In normal rats, rats fed CATO (20 mg/l00 g BW/d) showed lower postprandial glucose levels in all the levels from 30 min up to 180 min than those in the control rats without CATO (p<0.05). In diabetic rats, those levels in the CATO group seemed to be lower during the $30{\sim}180$ min, but only glucose level at 30 min showed significant difference compared to that in the control group. Moreover, CATO delayed the peak time of the glucose rise in both normal and diabetic rats in the glucose curves. On the other hand, when CATO was administered orally to the diabetic rats for 5 days, 12 hr fasting serum glucose level was decreased in the diabetic rats (p<0.05). Degree of a decrease in 12 hr fasting serum insulin levels was significantly less in the diabetic CATO rats as compared to diabetic control rats. On the last day of feeding, P cells of the pancreas were stimulated by 200 mg/dL glucose through a 40 min-pancreas perfusion. Amounts of the insulin secreted from the pancreas during the first phase ($11{\sim}20$ min) and the second phase ($21{\sim}40$ min) in the CATO fed diabetic rats were significantly greater than those in the diabetic control group (p<0.05). These findings indicated that constituents of Cassia tora L. seeds have beneficial effect on postprandial blood glucose control which may be partially mediated by stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreas of the diabetic rats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2002

Gender differences in the effects of gonadectomy and high cholesterol diet on body weight and body cholesterol were investigated by using Sprague Dawley rats. Body weight, plasma and liver levels of cholesterol and triglyceride and platelet aggregation were examined in ovariectomized(OVX) or orchidectomized(ODX) rats with their intacts after feeding diet with or without 0.5% cholesterol. Body weight was significantly increased(p < 0.01) in OVX rats and significantly decreased(p < 0.01) in ODX rats compared to their respective intact rats, and cholesterol diet significantly(p < 0.05) decreased body weight in gonadectomized rats. Liver lobes from rats fed cholesterol diet were opaque and larger than those from rats find control dict, resulting in a significant increase(p < 0.01) in LW/BW ratio. Plasma and liver levels of total cholesterol were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in female rats regardless ovariectomy when find 0.5% cholesterol diet, but those levels in male rats were increased only when they were orchidectomized(p < 0.0l). Plasma HDL-cholesterol was significantly decreased(p < 0.05) in both sexes when find cholesterol diet. HDL-cholesterol were higher in female than male rats regardless treatments(p < 0.05). Liver triglyceride was significantly increased(p < 0.05) in both sexes when find cholesterol dict. Plasma level of triglyceride was not different among groups except significant decrease(p < 0.05) in cholesterol find ODX rats. Maximum platelet aggregation in female rats was significantly lower(p < 0.05) than male, but ovariectomy and cholesterol diet caused an increase te the level of male rats. Microscopic examination showed cholesterol diet caused a lipid accumulation in liver. Results indicate that intact female rats have higher response to hypercholestcrolemic diet than intact male rats and orchidectomy causes male rats more responsive to hypercholesterolemic diet. However, ovariectomy causes an increase female food efficiency ratio to the level of male rats, significantly increasing body weight.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.1-11
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• 1998

Ameliorating mechanisms of red ginseng on learning deficits were investigated in the following 3 experiments; its effects on 1) place learning deficits in aged rats and in young rats with selective hippocampal lesions (behavioral study), 2) long-term potentiation in the hippocampal formation (neuro- physiological study), and 3) ChAT (choline acetyl transferase) activity in various brain regions of aged rats (pharmacological study). In the behavioral study, first, performance in the place learning tasks were compared among 3 groups of young and aged rats; control young intact rats (10-12 week old) treated with water, aged rats (28-32 month old) treated with water, and aged rats (28-32 month old) treated with red ginseng (100 mghglday) suspended in water. Second, performance in the place learning tasks was compared among 3 groups of young rats; control intact rats treated with water, rats with bilateral hippocampal lesions treated with water, and rats with bilateral hippocampal lesions treated with red ginseng (100 mg/kg/day). Each rat in these 2 behavioral experiments was tested with the 3 types of the place learning tasks in a circular open field using intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) as reward. The ICSS reward was delivered if the rat (1) moved distance of 100-160 cm (DMT): (2) entered an experiment-determined reward place within the open field, and this place was randomly varied in sequential trials (RRPST); or (3) entered 2 specific places, and did a shuttle behavior between the 2 places (PLT). Performance of the aged rats in the ginseng group was not significantly different from that of control young rats in ICSS (current intensity, bar press rates), DMT and RRPST. However, treatment with red ginseng significantly ameliorated place-navigation learning deficits in aged rats in the PLT. Similarly, red ginseng ameliorated learning and memory deficits in young rats with hippocampal lesions in the same tasks. In the neurophysiological study using young rats, perfusion of hippocampal slices with non-sapon in fraction of red ginseng significantly enhanced magnitudes of the long-term potentiation (LfP) in the CA3 subfield. In the pharmacological study, treatment with red ginseng did not affect ChAT activity in aged rat brain including the hippocampal formation. These results strongly suggest that red ginseng ameliorates learning and memory deficits in aged rats through actions on the CA3 subfield of the hippocampal formation, which were independent of the presynaptic components of the cholinergic system

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.122-127
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• 2006

The effects of fermented chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) powder on the lipid concentrations and the activities of liver marker enzymes of serum in genetically diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats were investigated. Rats were fed a semisynthetic diet supplemented with 50 g/kg chaga mushroom powder (CM) or 50 g/kg fermented chaga mushroom powder (FCM) for 8 weeks (26 to 34 weeks of age). Nondiabetic Long-Evans Toknshima Otsuka (LETO) rats were used as age-matched nondiabetic control animals. Water consumption was significantly higher in the OLETF control than the LETO rats. Water consumption in the FCM-fed OLETF rats tended to be less than in both the OLETF control and CM-fed OLETF rats. Serum concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol were significantly higher in the OLETF control rats than in the LETO rats while within the OLETF rat groups, the consumption of FCM resulted in a significantly lower serum triglyceride concentration and slightly lowered serum total cholesterol concentration when compared to the OLETF control and CM-fed rats. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was significantly higher in the OLETF control than in the LETO rats, but this difference was significantly reduced compared to the CM-fed rats and essentially no difference in the ALT levels was observed between the LETO and OLETF-FCM rats. This observation suggests an adaptive effect of the fermented chaga mushroom in liver function. Livers of the LETO rats showed no histopathological changes, whereas those of the OLETF control rats were characterized by many fat depositions in the central zone of the hepatocytes. The livers of the OLETF CM-fed rats showed less fatty changes compared to the OLETF control rats and fat deposition in the hepatocytes was nearly absent. These results suggest that orally ingested fermented chaga mushroom has a potential beneficial effect on the complications known to occur in the obesity-related non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NlDDM) OLETF rat.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.202-210
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary purple sweet potato(Ipomoea batatas) powder on serum lipid levels and antioxidative enzymes in normal and pretective effect on hepatotoxicity rats induced by carbon tetrachlolide. Four groups of rats (3-week-old inbred Sprague-Dawley male rats) were normal rats fed control diet(C), induced hepatotoxicity rats fed control diet(EC), normal rats fed purple sweet potato diet(P), and induced hepatotoxicity rats fed purple potato sweet diet(EP). Rats were induced by single injection of 50% carbon tetrachlolide(0.1 mL/100 g B.W., i.p.). The rats were fed ad libitum each of the experimental diet for 5 weeks. After 5 weeks the rats were sacrificed and activities of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation products were determined in their liver homogenates. But serum concentrations of lipid was not significant in all groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT/GPT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST/GOT) of the EC and EP groups were heigher than the C and P groups. The hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase(G6Pase) activity of the group fed purple potato diet(P) was lower than the other groups(p<0.05). However, The glutathione peroxidase(GPx) activities was not statistically different between the groups. Renal glutathione S-transferase(GST) activity of the EC and EP groups were lower than the C and P groups(p<0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that purple sweet potato is believed to be possible protective effect on hepatotoxicity rats induced by carbon tetrachlolide.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.539-543
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Soy isoflavones are structurally similar to estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors, suggesting that they exhibit estrogenic activities; therefore, they are referred to as phytoestrogens. Fermentation may affect the bioavailability of isoflavones altering soy isoflavone glycosides in the form of aglycones. Thus, this study investigated the effects of fermented soybeans by Rhizopus oligosporus on bone metabolism in both young rats as a pilot test and in ovariectomized (ovx) old rats as a model of menopause. MATERIALS/METHODS: In the pilot test, a total of 24 seven-week-old female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed one of three diets for a period of four weeks: casein, unfermented soybean product, or fermented soybean product by R. oligosporus. In the ovx rat model, 20-week-old SD rats weighing 260-290 g underwent either sham-operation (n = 10) or bilateral ovariectomy (n = 30) and were then fed the AIN-93M diet for one week. Thereafter, rats were fed sham-casein, ovx-casein, ovx-soybean, or ovx-fermented soybean diet for five weeks. After decapitation, femoral bones were isolated and preserved in 9% formalin for assessment of bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and bone-breaking strength (BBS). RESULTS: Ovx rats showed significantly increased weight gain and decreased uterine wet weight. Of particular interest, ovx rats fed fermented soybeans showed increased uterine wet weights compared to control rats. Fermented soybean diet caused a significant increase in plasma 17-${\beta}$ estradiol concentrations in young rats, and 17-${\beta}$ estradiol levels were enhanced in ovx rats to match those of sham-operated ones. Significantly lower femoral BMD and BMC were observed in ovx rats compared to sham-operated controls, whereas bone areas did not differ statistically among the groups. In addition, BBS tended to be increased in ovx rats fed soybeans and fermented soybeans. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of fermented soybeans could have preventive and therapeutic effects against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2013

In previous studies, we found that the consumption of legumes decreased bone turnover in ovariectomized rats. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether the protective effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and the microarchitecture of a diet containing legumes are comparable. In addition, we aim to determine their protective actions in bones by studying bone specific gene expression. Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats are being divided into six groups during the 12 week study: 1) rats that underwent sham operations (Sham), 2) ovariectomized rats fed an AIN-93M diet (OVX), 3) ovariectomized rats fed an AIN-93M diet with soybeans (OVX-S), 4) ovariectomized rats fed an AIN-93M diet with mung beans (OVX-M), 5) ovariectomized rats fed an AIN-93M diet with cowpeas (OVX-C), and 6) ovariectomized rats fed an AIN-93M diet with azuki beans (OVX-A). Consumption of legumes significantly increased BMD of the spine and femur and bone volume of the femur compared to the OVX. Serum calcium and phosphate ratio, osteocalcin, expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), and the receptor activator of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL) ratio increased significantly, while urinary excretion of calcium and deoxypyridinoline and expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 were significantly reduced in OVX rats fed legumes, compared to OVX rats that were not fed legumes. This study demonstrates that consumption of legumes has a beneficial effect on bone through modulation of OPG and RANKL expression in ovariectomized rats and that legume consumption can help compensate for an estrogen-deficiency by preventing bone loss induced by ovarian hormone deficiency.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigated the short-term effects of early weaning and protein intake on organ and cell growth, nitrogen metabolism and physiological functions of rats. Five groups of early weaned rats separated from the dam on the 15th day postpartum were each given one five diets consisting of either one of the three levels of casein-low(8%), -normal (16%), and -high(32%), or a normal level (16%) of isolated soy protein(ISP) or egg yolk protein, for 7 days. The normal weaned rats were fed maternal breast milk for three weeks from birth. On the 22nd day postpartum , all the rats were sacrificed . The weight gain of the early weaned rats, especially the ones fed high protein, was observed to be significantly lower than that of the normal weaned rats. By the 15th day, of early weaning and especially in the ISP-fed rats, the total DNA contents of liver and kidney, which may be said to represent an index of cell numbers, significantly decreased, but their fresh and dry weight and protein/DNA ratio, allegedly representing an index of cell size, significantly increased , not affecting the cell number and cell size of brain. There were no differences in total serum protein and albumin concentrations between early and normal weaned rats. In the early weaned rats observed , the serum urea N and $\alpha$-amino N concentrations significantly increased in high protein-fed rats, and decreased in low protein-fed rats. Another observation was that no significant difference was noticed as regards to serum GOT activity, total bilirubin, uric acid, and creatinine concentration, which may represent indices of liver and kidney functions, among rat groups, GPT activity was an exception . These results suggest that premature weaning and the quality and quantity of dietary protein significantly affect organ and cell growth and nitrogen metabolism but does not seriously affect physiological functions in the neonatal development of rats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.426-434
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• 1995

The purpose of this study were to investigate the effect of fasting and vitamin B6 repletion on tissue concentration of pyridoxal 5-phosphate and urinary excreteion of 4-pyridoxic acid in vitamin B6 deficient rats. Sixty six rats(6 per group) were fed either a vitamin B6 deficient diet (-B6) or a control diet (+B6) for 6 weeks and then rats were repleted with +B6 diet for 2 weeks. Rats were fasted for 1 and 3 days and for 3 days after repletion. Pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) concentration in plasma, liver, skeletal muscle, and heart muscle and urinary 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) excretion were compared. Fasting resulted in a significant increase in PLP concentration in the plasma, liver and heart muscle of rats fed the -B6 diet. Skeletal muscle PLP concentration was significantly decreased in +B6 rats but not in -B6 rats. Following vitamin B6 repletion, PLP concentration in the plasma, liver and heart muscle in previously -B6 rats was similar to the respective concentration in +B6 rats while PLP concentration in the skeletal muscle of previously -B6 rats increased, but it was not reached to that of +B6 rats. At day 1 and 2 of the fast, urinary 4-PT excretion increased in both +B6 and -B6 rats although there was no supply of vitamin B6 due to fasting. These results suggest that vitami B6 is redistributed as PLP when there is a caloric deficit and PLP is supplied by an endogenous source, possibly PLP bound to skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase.