Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni extract supplementation improves lipid and carnitine profiles in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet.
BACKGROUND
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a non-caloric natural-source alternative to artificially produced sugar substitutes. This study investigated the effect of stevia extract on lipid profiles in C57BL/6J mice. Forty mice were divided into four groups: N-C (normal diet and distilled water), H-C (high-fat diet and distilled water), H-SC (high fat diet and sucrose, 1 mL kg(-1) per day), and H-SV (high-fat diet and stevia extract, 1 mL kg(-1) per day).


RESULTS
Body weight gain was significantly higher in the H-SC group than in the H-SV group. Triglyceride concentrations in serum and liver were lower in the H-SV group than in the H-SC group. Serum total cholesterol concentrations were lower in the H-SV and H-C groups compared to the H-SC group. The concentrations of acid-insoluble acylcarnitine (AIAC) in serum were higher in the H-SV group than in the H-C and H-SC groups and the acyl/free carnitine level in liver was significantly higher in the H-SV group than in the N-C group. These results were supported by mRNA expression of enzymes related to lipid metabolism (ACO, PPARalpha, ACS, CPT-I, ACC) assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the supplementation of stevia extract might have an anti-obesity effect on high-fat diet induced obese mice.
Park
Jeong-Eun
JE
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Research Institute of Human Ecology, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756, Korea.
Cha
Youn-Soo
YS
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004798:Enzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D036625:Stevia; D013395:Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D004041:Dietary Fats; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D004798:Enzymes; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013395:Sucrose; D002331:Carnitine