The effect of dietary taurine supplementation on plasma and liver lipid concentrations and mineral metabolism in rats fed alcohol.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary taurine supplementation on plasma and liver lipid concentrations and plasma and urine Ca, Mg, Se, Zn concentrations in alcohol-consuming (15% of energy/d) rats. Thirty-two male rats (Sprague-Dawley) were divided into 4 groups and fed experimental diets (non-alcohol+control diet, non-alcohol+taurine, alcohol+control diet, alcohol+taurine) for six weeks. The level of taurine supplementation was 1.5 g/100 g diet. There were no significant differences in the body weight gain and total calorie intake between the control and alcohol groups, but the food efficiency ratio was higher in the control group. The concentrations of plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL-cholesterol were higher in the alcohol group, while the levels were apparently reduced in the groups fed taurine. Glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activities were not significantly influenced by alcohol (15% of energy) consumption and dietary taurine supplementation. The plasma concentrations of Ca, Mg, Se, and Zn were not affected by alcohol consumption or dietary taurine supplementation. Only the urinary excretion of Se significantly increased by alcohol consumption, which was decreased by dietary taurine supplementation. These results indicate that taurine exerted some beneficial effects on hypocholesterlemia, hypotriglyceridemia and urinary Se excretion caused by alcohol consumption.