School of Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Université Laval, Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Laval, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
Mar Drugs. 2020 Oct 26;18(11):530. doi: 10.3390/md18110530.
Sea cucumbers have been shown to have potential health benefits and are a rich source of several bioactive compounds, particularly triterpenoid saponins. However, most studies concentrate on the body wall, and little is known about the health effects of the coproducts. The objectives of this study were to determine the nutritional composition of a coproduct from the sea cucumber and the effects of the dietary consumption of this coproduct on cardiometabolic health in rats. Chemical, biochemical, and nutritional analyses were performed to characterize this coproduct. Forty (40) male Wistar rats were then equally divided into four groups and fed a purified control diet or a diet enriched with 0.5%, 1.5%, or 2.5% (by protein) of coproduct. After 28 days of feeding, the rats were sacrificed. Body and tissue weight, body composition, epididymal adipocyte diameter, plasma and hepatic lipids, glycemia, and insulinemia were measured at the end of the 28-day experiment. Analysis of the coproduct revealed high levels of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and saponins. The 1.5% group had significantly smaller epididymal adipocytes vs. the control. We conclude that dietary administration of this sea cucumber coproduct at 1.5% doses decreases visceral adiposity, potentially decreasing the risk of cardiometabolic dysfunction. The coproduct's saponin content may contribute to the observed effects, but the impact of other components cannot be ruled out.
海参已被证明具有潜在的健康益处，是几种生物活性化合物的丰富来源，特别是三萜皂苷。然而，大多数研究都集中在体壁上，对于副产物的健康影响知之甚少。本研究的目的是确定海参副产物的营养成分，以及这种副产物的饮食摄入对大鼠心脏代谢健康的影响。对该副产物进行了化学、生化和营养分析。然后，将 40 只雄性 Wistar 大鼠等分为四组，分别喂食纯化对照饮食或富含 0.5%、1.5%或 2.5%（按蛋白质计）副产物的饮食。喂食 28 天后，处死大鼠。在 28 天实验结束时测量体重和组织重量、体成分、附睾脂肪细胞直径、血浆和肝脂质、血糖和胰岛素血症。副产物分析显示其蛋白质、ω-3 脂肪酸、矿物质和皂苷含量很高。与对照组相比，1.5%组的附睾脂肪细胞明显更小。我们得出结论，以 1.5%剂量的这种海参副产物进行饮食给药可减少内脏脂肪堆积，从而降低心脏代谢功能障碍的风险。副产物的皂苷含量可能有助于观察到的效果，但不能排除其他成分的影响。
