The effect of cocoa, soy, oats and fish oil on metabolic syndrome in rats

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2012-08, Vol.92 (11), p.2349-2357
• Main Authors: Barrios-Ramos, Juan P, Garduño-Siciliano, Leticia, Loredo, Maria, Chamorro-Cevallos, German, Jaramillo-Flores, Maria E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidants - analysis; Avena - chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Cacao - chemistry; Cereal and baking product industries; Cocoa; Dietary Supplements; Fat industries; Fatty Liver - etiology; Fatty Liver - prevention & control; Fish oils; Fish Oils - analysis; Fish Oils - therapeutic use; Food industries; Food science; Functional Food - analysis; functional foods; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hepatic damage; Hypercholesterolemia - etiology; Hypercholesterolemia - prevention & control; Hyperglycemia - etiology; Hyperglycemia - prevention & control; Hypertension - etiology; Hypertension - prevention & control; Hypertriglyceridemia - etiology; Hypertriglyceridemia - prevention & control; Liver - pathology; Male; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - diet therapy; Metabolic Syndrome - pathology; Metabolic Syndrome - physiopathology; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Oats; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Seeds - chemistry; Soy Foods - analysis; steatosis
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.5637

BACKGROUND: The effect of functional foods alone or in combination (cocoa + soy + oats + fish oil) on hepatic damage in rats affected with metabolic syndrome was investigated. RESULTS: Rats that were given cocoa showed a decrease in the levels of triglycerides (TGs) and glucose (63 and 32% respectively) as well as a decrease in blood pressure (15%). Animals fed with soy showed a reduction of 21% in total cholesterol, 15% in blood pressure and 44% in TGs, while feeding oats reduced the concentration of TGs by 53% (P < 0.5). Fish oil caused a reduction in TGs (56%) and glucose (26%). The effect on blood pressure was statistically significant for the groups supplemented with cocoa, soy, cocoa + oats and the total mix. The main finding was a reduction in liver steatosis in animals supplemented with cocoa + oats (from 30 to 4.7% steatosis). Cocoa or fish oil alone did not protect the liver from damage, while cocoa + fish oil did. CONCLUSION: The most relevant effects were that the cocoa + oats mix decreased steatosis by a very large percentage, as did the cocoa + fish oil mix and the mix of all four functional foods. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry