title: Preventive role of green tea catechins from obesity and related disorders especially hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last few years, scientific investigations have proposed diet based regimens to prevent several health ailments including obesity, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes. In this regard, a promising tool is the use of functional foods/nutraceuticals. Present research project was an attempt to explore nutraceutical worth of locally grown green tea variety (Qi-Men) against lifestyle related disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Functional drinks (T2 and T3) were prepared by adding catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) @ 550 mg/500 mL and compared with control (T1). These functional drinks were tested in experimental rats modeling (Sprague Dawley). Based on diets, four studies were conducted i.e. trial-I (normal diet), trial-II (high cholesterol diet), trial-III (high sucrose diet), trial-IV (high cholesterol + high sucrose diet). Rats were monitored daily for their feed and drink intake while body weight was measured on weekly basis. After period of 56 days rats were sacrificed and evaluated their serum lipid (cholesterol, LDL and HDL), glucose and insulin levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results for feed consumption by rats revealed that highest feed intake was recorded in group provided control drink than other groups. However, non significant differences were noted among all groups for drink consumption. Functional drinks resulted in significant reduction in body weight with maximum lowering noted in trial-II and III i.e. 10.73 to 8.49% and 10.12 to 10.49%, respectively. Likewise, cholesterol and LDL were substantially reduced with 14.42% decrease observed in trial-IV and 30.43% in trial-II, respectively. Furthermore, serum glucose and insulin levels were also lowered significantly in the trial-III and IV while in trial-I and II differences were non-significant. In contrast to lipid profile, experimental drink containing EGCG reduced the trait better than catechins based functional drink.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The drinks supplemented with catechins and EGCG are effective against obesity, hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Home Economics, Govt College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan. rabiyaseen@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rabia Shabir
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: National institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan. drmsbutt@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Masood Sadiq
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. tauseefsultan@bzu.edu.pk.
authors.forename: M Tauseef
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sultan
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Home Economics, Govt College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan. zee_ft@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Zarina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mushtaq
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. shakeel.agronomy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shakeel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India. s.dewanjee@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Saikat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dewanjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Salerno, 84084, Italy. defeo@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Feo
authors.affiliation: The Patent Office, Karachi, Pakistan. ahirzia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zia-Ul-Haq
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002392:Catechin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D020011:Protective Agents; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin