The effect of silk protein with different fibroin/sericin compositions on body weight and lipid metabolism in high fat-fed mice was investigated. The animals were given experimental diets for 6 weeks: normal control (NC), high fat (HF) and high fat diet supplemented with F100 (pure fibroin, HF-F100), F81 (81:19 fibroin/sericin, w/w, HF-F81) or F50 (50:50 fibroin/sericin, w/w, HF-F50). The silk protein-fed mice showed markedly reduced body weight and enhanced lipid profile relative to the HF group. In general, the amount of body fat, triglyceride and total plasma cholesterol levels, atherogenic index and free fatty acid level tended to decrease, while the HDL-cholesterol level increased, with increased amount of sericin in the diet. This hypolipidemic effect was partly due to increased fecal lipid excretion, inhibition of lipogenesis and regulation of adipokine production. These findings illustrate that silk protein, particularly sericin, may be beneficial in the prevention of high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia and obesity.
The effect of dietary feeding of silk fibroin/sericinmixtureson the antioxidative status and glucose metabolism in high fat-fed mice was investigated. The mice weregiven experimental diets for 6 weeks: normal control (NC),high fat (HF) andhigh fat supplemented with F100 (pure fibroin, HF-F100), F81 (81:19 fibroin-sericin, w/w, HF-F81) or F50 (50:50 fibroin-sericin, w/w, HF-F50). The silk protein-fed mice showed decreased lipid peroxidation, enhancedantioxidant enzymesactivities and lower blood glucose level relative to HF group. The HF-F50 animals exhibited significantly lower insulin level, higher glycogen concentration, enhanced hepatic glucokinaseactivity and reduced glucose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvatecarboxynaseactivities than the HF ones. The in vivo antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic action tended to increase with increased amount of sericin and decreased fibroin content in the diet. These findings demonstrate that silk protein, particularly sericin, may be beneficial in suppressing high fat diet-induced hyperglycemiaand oxidative stress.
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