title: Protective effect of kombucha on rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet is mediated by its antioxidant activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kombucha (KT) is claimed to have various beneficial effects on human health, but there is very little scientific evidence available in the literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study investigates the effects of Camellia sinensis (GT) Linn. (Theaceae) and KT, two natural drinks, on cholesterol and antioxidant status using a hypercholesterolemia rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study compared the free-radical scavenging abilities and polyphenol levels of GT and KT. Wistar rats fed cholesterol-rich diets were given KT or GT (5 mL/kg body weight per day, po) for 16 weeks, then fasted overnight and sacrificed. The plasma lipid levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) serum levels, antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and creatinine and urea rats were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  KT had a phenolic compound of 955 ± 0.75 mg GAE/g) followed, by GT (788.92 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g). The free radical scavenging activity of KT was higher than GT. Compared with GT, KT induced lowered serum levels of TC, TG, VLDL-C, and LDL-C by 26, 27, 28, and 36%, respectively, and increased the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). KT induced a 55% decrease of TBARS level in liver and 44% in kidney, compared with those of rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet alone. Moreover, CAT and SOD activities were reduced by 29 and 33%, respectively, in liver and 31 and 35%, respectively, in kidney, after oral administration of KT, compared with those of HCD-fed rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings revealed that KT administration induced attractive curative effects on hypercholesterolemic, particularly in terms of liver-kidney functions in rats. Its effect on humans needs to be studied further.
authors: Animal Ecophysiology Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Sciences Faculty of Sfax, University of Sfax , Sfax , Tunisia .
authors: Khaled
authors: K
authors: Bellassoued
authors: Ferdaws
authors: F
authors: Ghrab
authors: Fatma
authors: F
authors: Makni-Ayadi
authors: Jos
authors: J
authors: Van Pelt
authors: Abdelfattah
authors: A
authors: Elfeki
authors: Emna
authors: E
authors: Ammar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028241:Camellia sinensis; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068858:Kombucha Tea; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D000068858:Kombucha Tea; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Green tea; histological studies; oxidative stress