Green tea extract containing a highly absorbent catechin prevents diet-induced lipid metabolism disorder.
We investigated the effects of extracts of Benifuuki (a tea cultivar that contains methylated catechins such as epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate (EGCG3"Me)) in mice fed a high-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet. This tea cultivar was then compared with an extract of Yabukita (a popular tea cultivar that lacks methylated catechins). For 6 weeks, C57BL/6J mice were fed either HF/HS diet with or without tea extracts from tea cultivars, which contained almost identical ingredients except for methylated catechins (i.e., Yabukita (0.2% and 1%) or Benifuuki (0.2% and 1%) extract powders). Supplementation with Benifuuki 0.2% markedly lowered plasma levels of TG and NEFAs compared with mice supplemented with Yabukita 0.2%. The diet containing Benifuuki 1% decreased adipose tissue weights, liver TG, and expression of lipogenic genes in the liver. These results suggested that Benifuuki had much greater lipid-lowering effects than Yabukita. Taken together, these data suggest that methylated catechins direct the strong lipid-lowering activity of Benifuuki.
Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
Takashi
T
Suzuki
Motofumi
M
Kumazoe
Yoonhee
Y
Kim
Shuya
S
Yamashita
Kanami
K
Nakahara
Shuntaro
S
Tsukamoto
Masako
M
Sasaki
Takatoki
T
Hagihara
Yukari
Y
Tsurudome
Yuhui
Y
Huang
Mari
M
Maeda-Yamamoto
Yuki
Y
Shinoda
Wataru
W
Yamaguchi
Koji
K
Yamada
Hirofumi
H
Tachibana
D000042:Absorption; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002392:Catechin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D052439:Lipid Metabolism Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013662:Tea; D014280:Triglycerides; D002392:Catechin; D002784:Cholesterol