Effects of raftilose on serum biochemistry and liver morphology in rats fed with normal or high-fat diet

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Ines Correia Sa (Author) Other; Hugo de Sousa Lopes (Author) Other; Maria J Martins (Author) FMUP; Isabel Azevedo (Author) Other; Eduardo Moura (Author) Other; Maria A Vieira Coelho (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research

Vol. 57

Pages: 1468-1472

ISSN: 1613-4125

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citations

Scopus - 7 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Other Agrarian Sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-K27

DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200693

Abstract (EN): Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the leading cause of chronic liver injury in developed countries. Oligofructose (OFS) is a prebiotic with proven benefits for health. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of 10% OFS on hepatic morphology and lipid metabolism in Wistar Kyoto rats submitted to normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (FD). Animals were treated for 7 weeks. Lipid profile and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were measured and liver histology evaluated at the end of the study. Ten percent OFS reduced triglyceride (TAG) levels when added to any of the diet regimens; 10% OFS decreased plasmatic urea in ND and plasmatic and urinary urea levels in FD; ND + 10% OFS treated rats showed lower ALP activity than controls. FD increased ALP activity, an effect not reversed by OFS. Animals submitted to FD have microscopic hepatic changes: marked steatosis with disarranged centrilobular zone structure; enlarged sinusoids; enlarged mitochondria and an increase in number and volume of adiposomes. Supplementation with 10% OFS in FD reversed those effects. In conclusion, 10% OFS supplementation prevented deleterious effects of FD such as alterations on lipid profile (TAG elevation) and hepatic morphologic changes. OFS decreased ALP activity in animals subjected to ND, which may have contributed to the differences on lipid metabolism.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5