title: Dietary kakrol (Momordica dioica Roxb.) flesh inhibits triacylglycerol absorption and lowers the risk for development of fatty liver in rats.
abstract: Kakrol (Momordica dioica Roxb.) is a cucurbitaceous vegetable native to India and Bangladesh. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia Linn.), a species related to kakrol, has been shown to have pharmacological properties including antidiabetic and antisteatotic effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary kakrol on lipid metabolism in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed AIN-76 formula diets containing 3% freeze-dried powders of whole kakrol or bitter gourd for two weeks. Results showed significantly lowered liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels in rats fed on both diets. Fecal lipid excretion increased in rats fed the kakrol diet, and lymphatic transport of triacylglycerol and phospholipids decreased in rats fed the kakrol diet after permanent lymph cannulation. Furthermore, n-butanol extract from kakrol caused a significant concentration-dependent decrease in the pancreatic lipase activity in vitro. These results indicate that the mechanisms of action on lipid metabolism in kakrol and bitter gourd are different and that dietary kakrol reduces liver lipids by inhibiting lipid absorption.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan. masaos@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Sawako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiratake
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomoyori
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Bungo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shirouchi
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005638:Fruit; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008196:Lymph / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D029775:Momordica; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol