title: Effect of the red seaweed Mastocarpus stellatus intake on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status in healthy Wistar rats.
abstract: Health-promoting effect of dietary supplementation with the red seaweed Mastocarpus stellatus was studied. Its major component is dietary fibre (31.7/100 g dry weight), 72% as soluble fibre, mainly formed by carrageenans, sulphated-galactans of red seaweeds. Thus, rats were fed either a basal- or an algal-supplemented diet (10%). Then, lipid metabolism was assessed in serum, and reducing power measured in serum and caecum by FRAP method. Also, caecal pH was monitored and short chain fatty acids analysed by gas-liquid chromatography. Seaweed intake reduced significantly triglycerides and total cholesterol in healthy rats, but not atherogenic index. Also, a significant increase in caecal moisture and proportion of acetic and propionic acids was obtained but no clear prebiotic effect was shown. Sulphated-galactans seemed to be related to the antioxidant status improvement in caecum and also to the 1.7-fold increase in anticoagulant capacity of plasma. Therefore, Mastocarpus could be regarded as a source of functional ingredients but its health benefits need to be further explored depending on specific use.
authors.affiliation: Metabolism and Nutrition Department, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición (ICTAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), José Antonio Novais 10, Ciudad Universitaria, ES-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Ordóñez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Escrig
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rupérez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D051381:Rats / Q000378:metabolism*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol