QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Han, L.-K. Articles by Kimura, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Han, L.-K. Articles by Kimura, Y.

---

Nutrient Metabolism

Saponins from Platycodi Radix Ameliorate High Fat Diet–Induced Obesity in Mice

Li-Kun Han, Yi-Nan Zheng, Bao-Jun Xu^*, Hiromichi Okuda and Yoshiyuki Kimura¹

Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Tsukide, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan; ^* Department of Chinese Material Medicine, Chinese Material Medicine College of Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun-shi, Jilin 130118, China; and Second Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Shigenobu-cho, Onsen-gun, Ehime 791-0295, Japan

¹To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yokim{at}m.ehime-u.ac.jp.

We examined the effects of crude saponins isolated from Platycodi radix on the degree on fat storage induced in mice by feeding a high fat diet for 9 wk. We reported previously that feeding mice a high fat diet for a longer time caused obesity and fatty liver compared with those fed a low fat diet, nonpurified diet. Feeding a high fat diet containing 10 or 30 g/kg crude saponins prevented the body and parametrial adipose tissue weight increases and hepatic steatosis of mice fed the high fat diet alone. Furthermore, crude saponins (375 mg/kg) inhibited the elevations in blood triacylglycerol in rats orally administered a lipid emulsion compared with that of rats given the lipid emulsion alone. Previously, we reported that crude saponins inhibited pancreatic lipase activity in vitro. To identify the active substance(s) of crude saponins, we examined the effects of purified platycodin D, the primary saponin in the crude mixture, on pancreatic lipase activity and on the blood triacylglycerol elevation in rats administered the oral lipid emulsion tolerance test. Platycodin D (0.5 and 1.0 g/L) inhibited pancreatic lipase activity in vitro and at a dose of 244 mg/kg, inhibited the elevation of blood triacylglycerol. Therefore, the antiobesity effect of the crude saponins in mice fed a high fat diet may be due to the inhibition of intestinal absorption of dietary fat by platycodin D.

KEY WORDS: • Platycodi radix • crude saponins • platycodin D • pancreatic lipase • high fat diet • mice

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. P. Visavadiya and A. V. R. L. Narasimhacharya Asparagus Root Regulates Cholesterol Metabolism and Improves Antioxidant Status in Hypercholesteremic Rats Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med., June 1, 2009; 6(2): 219 - 226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]