J. Kayashita et al., FEEDING OF BUCKWHEAT PROTEIN EXTRACT REDUCES HEPATIC TRIGLYCERIDE CONCENTRATION, ADIPOSE-TISSUE WEIGHT, AND HEPATIC LIPOGENESIS IN RATS, Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 7(10), 1996, pp. 555-559
The objective of this study was to examine effects of feeding buckwhea
t protein extract (BWPE) on hepatic and plasma lipids, fat pad weights
and activities of enzymes relating to lipid metabolism in tissues of
rats. Rats were fed a semipurified diet containing either buckwheat pr
otein extract ol casein for 3 weeks. Food consumption and growth rate
were unaffected by dietary treatment. Hepatic triglyceride concentrati
on and the weights of epididymal and perirenal fat pad were significan
tly lower in rats fed BWPE compared with those fed casein diet. BWPE S
eeding caused lower activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrog
enase and fatty acid synthase, but did not affect the activity of hepa
tic carnitine palmitoyltransferase I. lit addition, BWPE caused increa
ses in fecal fat and nitrogen. These results demonstrated that feeding
BWPE causes reductions ii? hepatic triglyceride concentration and fat
pad weights, and suggested that these reductions might be ascribed to
lower activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes and to lower digestibil
ity of fat and protein. Furthermore, analysis of plasma free amino aci
ds showed marked increases of glycine and arginine iii rats fed BWPE c
ompared with rats fed casein, raising the possibility thar these alter
ations in plasma amino acids lend to reduction in body fat. (C) Elsevi
er Science Inc. 1996