The anti-obesity effect of green tea polysaccharides, polyphenols and caffeine in rats fed with a high-fat diet

• Published in: Food & function 2015-01, Vol.6 (1), p.296-33
• Main Authors: Xu, Yan, Zhang, Min, Wu, Tao, Dai, ShengDong, Xu, Jinling, Zhou, Zhongkai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue, White - immunology; Adipose Tissue, White - pathology; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - analysis; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Anti-Obesity Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Obesity Agents - analysis; Anti-Obesity Agents - chemistry; Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Caffeine - administration & dosage; Caffeine - analysis; Caffeine - isolation & purification; Caffeine - therapeutic use; Camellia sinensis; Camellia sinensis - chemistry; Cytokines - antagonists & inhibitors; Cytokines - blood; Dietary Supplements - analysis; Food Handling; Hyperlipidemias - etiology; Hyperlipidemias - prevention & control; Hypolipidemic Agents - administration & dosage; Hypolipidemic Agents - analysis; Hypolipidemic Agents - chemistry; Hypolipidemic Agents - therapeutic use; Leptin - antagonists & inhibitors; Leptin - blood; Liver - immunology; Liver - pathology; Male; Obesity - blood; Obesity - immunology; Obesity - pathology; Obesity - prevention & control; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Polyphenols - administration & dosage; Polyphenols - analysis; Polyphenols - isolation & purification; Polyphenols - therapeutic use; Polysaccharides - administration & dosage; Polysaccharides - analysis; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Polysaccharides - therapeutic use; Random Allocation; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Theaceae
• ISSN: 2042-6496; 2042-650X
• DOI: 10.1039/c4fo00970c

Beneficial effects of green tea ( Camellia sinensis , Theaceae) extracts against obesity have been reported; however, the anti-obesity ability of the major components of green tea, polysaccharides, polyphenols and caffeine is not clear. Therefore, experiments with total green tea extracts, polyphenols, polysaccharides, caffeine, and a complex of polysaccharide and polyphenol at a dose of 400 or 800 mg kg −1 were conducted on high-fat diet fed rats for 6 weeks to investigate their anti-obesity effects. The results indicated that polyphenols and polysaccharides were responsible for the suppressive effect of green tea extracts on body weight increase and fat accumulation. Moreover, polyphenols, polysaccharides, or caffeine can improve blood lipid and antioxidant levels, and effectively reduce rat serum leptin levels, inhibit the absorption of fatty acids, and markedly reduce the expression levels of the IL-6 and TNF-α gene. Furthermore, it was shown that polysaccharides and polyphenols were synergistic in reduction of serum leptin levels and in anti-inflammatory activity. These results suggest that the polysaccharide combination with polyphenols might be a potential therapy against obesity. Beneficial effects of green tea ( Camellia sinensis , Theaceae) extracts against obesity have been reported; however, the anti-obesity ability of the major components of green tea, polysaccharides, polyphenols and caffeine is not clear.