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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #269984
Title: Effects of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside lignan-enriched flaxseed powder on body weight, visceral fat, lipid profile, adipokines, and blood pressure in rats fed a high-fructose and high-fat diet

Author
item Park, Jae
item VELASQUEZ, MANUEL - George Washington University Medical Center

Submitted to: Fitoterapia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2012
Publication Date: 4/19/2012
Citation: Park, J.B., Velasquez, M.T. 2012. Effects of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside lignan-enriched flaxseed powder on body weight, visceral fat, lipid profile, adipokines, and blood pressure in rats fed a high-fructose and high-fat diet. Fitoterapia. 83(5):941-6.

Interpretive Summary: Flax (Linum usitatissimum) belongs to the linaceae family of plants and is used in traditional medicines for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease. From a nutritional perspective, flaxseed derived from linaceae plants is a good source of oil, fiber, lignans, and nutrients. In particular, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the major lignin found in flaxseed with numerous purported biological activities and health benefits. Lately, SDG-enriched (35%) flaxseed powder (LEFP) is commercially available as a dietary supplement ingredient, but the potential effects of LEFP on obesity and hypertension have not been investigated fully. In this study, SDG-lignan supplementation was found to provide beneficial health effects such as reducing body weight and fat accumulation, improving serum lipid profiles, and lowering blood pressure in rats. The results of this study provide researchers in nutrition, molecular biology, and related medicinal fields with new information about the potential effects of SDG-enriched (35%) flaxseed powder.

Technical Abstract: The potential effects of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) lignan-enriched flaxseed powder LEFP) on body weight, visceral fat, lipid profile, adipokines, and blood pressure were investigated using Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals were divided into three groups (n=8) that were fed either a normal control diet (NC), a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFD), or a high-fat and high-fructose diet with 0.02% LEFP (HFDL). Liver, heart, kidney, adipose tissues (epididymal, sub-diaphragmatic, and visceral), and blood were collected for biochemical analyses following 12 weeks on the diets. Although feed and water intakes were similar among the three groups, the average body weight of rats fed the HFD diet was significantly higher than rats in the NC and the HFDL fed groups. Measurement of adipose tissue showed that the weight of visceral fat was significantly different in rats from the three groups and significantly reduced in the HFDL-fed rats. In addition, plasma leptin increased significantly in rats fed the HFD diet and was higher than that of rats fed the HFDL diet. However, the plasma levels of other adipokines, such as IL-6 and TNF-alpha, were not significantly different among the three groups. The data suggest that dietary supplementation with LEFP improved the lipid profile by lowering triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in rats fed the HFDL diet compared to rats fed the HFD diet. Also, a significant reduction in blood pressure was observed in rats fed the HFDL diet compared to the HFD group. These data suggest that SDG-lignan supplementation may provide beneficial effects via reducing body weight and fat accumulation, improving the lipid profile, and lowering blood pressure.