title: Okara ameliorates glucose tolerance in GK rats.
abstract: Okara, a food by-product from the production of tofu and soy milk, is rich in three beneficial components: insoluble dietary fiber, β-conglycinin, and isoflavones. Although isoflavones and β-conglycinin have recently been shown to improve glucose tolerance, the effects of okara have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we herein investigated the effects of okara on glucose tolerance in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a representative animal model of Japanese type 2 diabetes. Male GK rats were fed a 10% lard diet with or without 5% dry okara powder for 2 weeks and an oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Rats were then fed each diet for another week and sacrificed. The expression of genes that are the master regulators of glucose metabolism in adipose tissue was subsequently examined. No significant differences were observed in body weight gain or food intake between the two groups of GK rats. In the oral glucose tolerance test, increases in plasma glucose levels were suppressed by the okara diet. The mRNA expression levels of PPARγ, adiponectin, and GLUT4, which up-regulate the effects of insulin, were increased in epididymal adipose tissue by the okara diet. These results suggest that okara provides a useful means for treating type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsukawa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Sonomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okuno
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Kinsuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama-gakuin University, 4-2-2 Harumidai, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka 590-0113, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iritani
keywords: PPARγ; adiponectin; animal model; diabetes mellitus; okara