Original Paper

Effects of Simultaneous Intakes of Fish Oil and Green Tea Extracts on Plasma, Glucose, Insulin, C-Peptide, and Adiponectin and on Liver Lipid Concentrations in Mice Fed Low- and High-Fat Diets
Nobuya Shirai^a, Hiramitsu Suzuki<sup>a, b

a</sup>National Food Research Institute, Kannondai, Tsukuba, and
^bKagawa Nutrition University, Chiyoda, Sakado, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Ann Nutr Metab 2008;52:241-249 (DOI: 10.1159/000140516)

  Key Words

• Fish oil
• Green tea
• Plasma
• Lipid
• Glucose
• Liver
• Mice
• Low-fat diet
• High-fat diet

  Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of a simultaneous intake of fish oil and green tea extracts (GTE) on plasma lipids, glucose (Glu), insulin, C-peptide, and adiponectin concentrations and on liver lipids in mice fed low- and high-fat diets. Methods: Male mice (5 months old) were fed low-fat (5%) or high-fat (20%) diets containing 0% (5 or 20% lard), 1% (4 or 19% lard) or 5% (0 or 15% lard) fish oil with or without 1% GTE for 3 months. Results: Single or combined intakes of fish oil and GTE intakes significantly lowered plasma and liver total cholesterol (T-chol) and triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations in mice on high-fat diets. However, a positive effect of GTE alone was not observed in the plasma T-chol and TG concentrations of mice on low-fat diets. Plasma Glu concentrations were significantly lowered by dietary fish oil in mice on the low- and high-fat diets. A tendency of GTE intake to decrease plasma Glu in mice on both the low- and high-fat diets was not significant. An intake of GTE only minimally influenced plasma insulin, C-peptide, and adiponectin concentrations, but fish oil supplementation increased the adiponectin concentration in mice on the low- and high-fat diets. GTE addition to the diets had no adverse effects on reductions by fish oil. Conclusion: These results suggest that a simultaneous intake of fish oil and GTE can improve plasma and liver lipid and plasma Glu profiles in mice fed a high-fat diet without any negative interactions of fish oil and GTE.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Nobuya Shirai
National Food Research Institute
2-1-12, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8642 (Japan)
Tel. +81 29 838 8089, Fax +81 29 838 7996
E-Mail nshinya@affrc.go.jp

  Article Information

Received: June 25, 2007
Accepted: March 10, 2008
Published online: June 19, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 9
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 49