In vivo anti-hypercholesterolemic effect of buttermilk, milk fat globule membrane and Enterococcus faecium FFNL-12

The ability of yoghurt supplemented with dietary fibers or brans extracted from wheat or rice to reduce serum lipids and enhance liver function in male hypercholesterolemic rats

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of yoghurt supplementation with rice and wheat brans or dietary fibers on serum lipid profile, liver, and heart functionalities, and hepatopathological aspects of the liver of hypercholesterolemic rats. 48 male rats were divided into 8 groups. Group 1 was kept as negative control and fed with a standard diet, and groups 2 to 6 were fed a hypercholesterolemia-induced diet supplemented with brans or dietary fibers of both grains. G2 received yoghurt without supplementation. The experiment lasted for 4 weeks. Results revealed that hypercholesterolemic rats administrated yoghurt supplemented with brans or dietary fibers reduced serum glucose from 113.9 ± 2.72 to 85.5 ± 4.94 in the serum of animals that received dietary fibers of rice and wheat, respectively. In addition, lipids profile and liver antioxidant status were improved. In addition, liver and heart functionalities and liver histopathological architecture were all improved depending on the type of administrated brans or fibers added to yoghurt. The inclusion of 0.5% of rice or wheat brans could be recommended to be added to yoghurt. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Yoghurt is the most famous fermented milk in the world. Supplementation of yoghurt with rice and wheat brans or dietary fibers increased its nutritional value. We proved that this new product contributes to reducing serum glucose, improving lipids profile, and enhancing liver and heart functions in hypercholesterolemic rats. This study confirmed the suitability to add a thesis type of brans or dietary fibers as bioactive ingredients to yoghurt and increased the varieties of functional foods.

Effectiveness of inulin-type on the iron bioavailability in anemic female rats fed bio-yogurt

It is well-documented that iron deficiency leads to anemia, which is the utmost critical problem of nutrition worldwide. Inulin, indigestible polysaccharides, or prebiotic agents may act as vehicles to enhance the iron bioavailability through the formation of the polysaccharide-iron complex. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effects of yogurt fortified with iron and supplemented by long- or short-chain inulin on the growth status, blood parameters, antioxidant capacity, and liver function enzymes in anemic rats. Five animal groups were assigned as the control (G1), which were fed a standard diet and there were four anemic groups, in which haemolytic anemia was induced by phenylhydrazine. The anemic rats were divided into 4 groups according to the regime of feeding as G2: control anemic group fed low-iron diet while the remaining anemic groups were fed yogurt fortified with Fe2(SO4)3 without inulin (G3) or with either long- (G4) or short-chain (G5) inulin. The results showed that the animals subjected to treatment G4 had the highest (P ≤ 0.05) weight gain and organ coefficient compared with other anemic groups (G2, G3, and G5). Among the anemic groups, the animals that belonged to G4 showed a significant restorative effect by returning the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels and the red blood cell count to the normal control liver. Also, the liver iron content, enzymatic activities, and antioxidant capacities improved in the animals subjected to G4 and G5 treatment groups. The histological structures of the liver tissues of the animals that belonged to G4 and G5 were extremely close to that of the normal control liver. Long-chain inulin-containing yogurt exhibited the best effects in terms of iron supplementation, bioavailability, and antioxidant activities. This formula might be a potential new iron supplement and a good functional food candidate.