title: Dietary sesame seeds elevate alpha-tocopherol concentration in rat brain.
abstract: We have previously reported that dietary sesame lignan elevates alpha-tocopherol concentration and decreases lipid peroxidation in tissues and serum of rats fed alpha-tocopherol. In this study, the effect of dietary sesame seeds on alpha-tocopherol concentration and lipid peroxidation in rat brain was examined. In experiment 1, male Wistar rats (4 wk old) were fed a vitamin E-free diet, or a diet containing alpha-tocopherol with or without sesame seeds for 1, 4 and 8 wk. The dietary sesame seeds elevated the alpha-tocopherol and lowered the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations in the brain of the rats fed alpha-tocopherol for 4 and 8 wk. The dietary sesame seeds maintained the high alpha-tocopherol concentration in the brain during the experimental period, while the concentration of the rats fed alpha-tocopherol without sesame seeds was lowered after 8 wk. Then, the alpha-tocopherol concentration in various regions of the brain of rats fed a basal level of alpha-tocopherol with sesame seeds was compared with that of rats fed an excess amount of alpha-tocopherol in experiment 2. The alpha-tocopherol concentration in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem and hippocampus of the rats fed 50 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg with sesame seeds was higher than those of the rats fed 500 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg without sesame seeds. These results suggest that the dietary sesame seeds are more useful than the intake of an excess amount of alpha-tocopherol, for maintaining a high alpha-tocopherol concentration and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in the various regions of the rat brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Nissin, Japan.
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Saiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kanae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000737:chemistry; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds; D031685:Sesamum; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000737:chemistry; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol