Chinese soft-shelled turtle egg powder lowers serum cholesterol, increases faecal neutral steroids and bile acid excretion, and up-regulates liver cytochrome P450 mRNA level in rats

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Chinese soft-shelled turtle whole egg powder (TE) on cholesterol metabolism in SpragueDawley rats to determine whether it has a cholesterol-lowering effect. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with TE (0, 0·75, 1·50 or 3·00 g/kg body weight) administrated by gavage for 24 weeks. Serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and faecal total bile acids levels were determined by enzymatic methods. Faecal steroid concentrations were measured by GC. Means and standard deviations were calculated where appropriate for values, and the data were tested by one-way ANOVA. After 24 weeks of feeding a high-fat diet with TE supplementation, serum TC and LDL-C levels, liver cholesterol and liver lipid levels were reduced in rats. TE supplementation did not affect the faecal output, but significantly increased steroid concentrations in faeces, indicating increased steroids excretion. The faecal bile acid excretion was also increased as evidence by elevated mRNA level of liver cytochrome P450, family 7, subfamily A, polypeptide 1. Our results demonstrated that the TE does have a cholesterol-lowering effect by increasing the excretion of total bile acids and neutral steroids.

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Lipid Droplet Breakdown in the Liver of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

“…Moreover, the supplementation of protein in fodder also significantly improved the growth performance and weight due to its higher demand than other animals (Jia et al, 2005). Researchers also realized supplementation of carbohydrates in fodder could effectively improve the utilization of animal feed and fat consumption in the turtles (Huanling et al, 2005). Different from protein and lipid, vitamins play an important role in the development of vision and the maintenance of the respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems in animals (Clagett-Dame and Knutson, 2011).…”

Characterization of Novel Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV Inhibitory Peptides from Soft-Shelled Turtle Yolk Hydrolysate Using Orthogonal Bioassay-Guided Fractionations Coupled with In Vitro and In Silico Study

“…The egg of soft-shelled turtle (SST) ( Pelodiscus sinensis ), a valuable aquaculture product in Taiwan and other Asian countries, is widely consumed as a tonic food in traditional Chinese medicine [ 1 ]. The soft-shelled turtle egg has been utilized for its biofunctional benefits, such as cholesterol-lowering effects and antihypertensive activities [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Cheung and Li reported that diabetes and hypertension share a common metabolic pathway, leading the therapeutic target to significantly reduce blood pressure and blood glucose levels [ 7 ].…”

The Molecular Docking and Inhibition Kinetics of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides Derived from Soft-Shelled Turtle Yolk

“…Previously published evidence of ACEI efficiency from soft-shelled turtles (SST) has been highlighted for egg, meat, and powder hydrolysates [12][13][14]. Consequently, potential ACEI peptides were identified from egg whites and egg yolks of SST [15][16][17].…”