[Influence of date seed flour and cellulose on growth, food utilization and parameters of fat metabolism of growing and adult rats].

In experiments with growing and adult Wistar-rats, the influence of date-seed flour on growth, food intake/utilization and lipid metabolism was studied. Cellulose powder was used as control substance. Unlike cellulose the date-seed flour increased the food intake and the gained body weights of the animals. The food utilization impaired after supplying both date-seed flour and cellulose. Date-seed flour as source of crude fibers in the diet caused a higher increase of weight and volume of the faeces than equivalent amounts of cellulose. Cellulose fed animals showed a higher crude fiber content of the faeces. The crude fiber of date seeds is supposed to consist of compounds more easily digested than cellulose such as hemicelluloses. Date-seed flour led to a significant increase of serum total lipids and serum cholesterol of growing rats. In the liver of adult rats the neutral fats and total lipids were increased too. A clear fatty infiltration in the liver of growing rats was detected. Cellulose did not significantly influence the lipid metabolism of both growing and adult rats. There must be a certain compound in the date seeds causing this lipid anabolic effect, which is not compensated by their relatively high crude fiber-content.