Abstract
Chitosan oligosaccharide is known to ameliorate hypercholesterolemia and diabetes. However, some studies found that chitosan oligosaccharide might induce mild to moderate hepatic damage in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obese rats or diabetic rats. Chitosan oligosaccharide can be as a dietary supplement, functional food, or drug. Its possible toxic effects to normal subjects need to be clarified. This study is designed to investigate the effects of chitosan oligosaccharide on plasma and hepatic lipid metabolism and liver histomorphology in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. Diets supplemented with 5% chitosan oligosaccharide have been found to induce liver damage in HF diet-fed rats. We therefore selected 5% chitosan oligosaccharide as an experimental object. Rats were divided into: a normal control diet group and a normal control diet +5% chitosan oligosaccharide group. The experimental period was 12 weeks. The results showed that supplementation of 5% chitosan oligosaccharide did not significantly change the body weight, food intake, liver/adipose tissue weights, plasma lipids, hepatic lipids, plasma levels of AST, ALT, and TNF-α/IL-6, hepatic lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidative enzyme activities, fecal lipids, and liver histomorphology in normal rats. These findings suggest that supplementation of 5% chitosan oligosaccharide for 12 weeks may not induce lipid metabolism disorder and liver toxicity in normal rats.
Highlights
Chitosan oligosaccharide, which is a product that is mainly prepared from chitin or chitosan by acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis, is characterized by low molecular weight (MW), high degree of deacetylation (DD), low degree of polymerization (DP), less viscous, and complete water solubility [1].Its DD is >90%, DP is
These previous studies and our study suggest that administration of chitosan oligosaccharide to normal rats may not be interfering with plasma lipid metabolism, there are differences in interfering plasma lipid metabolism, there are differences in chemical characterization, chemical with characterization, dosage, administration route, and experimental period among these dosage, administration route, and experimental period among these studies
We investigated the long-term effects of 5% chitosan oligosaccharide on liver function markers, liver histomorphology, and liver lipid peroxidation in normal rats
Summary
Chitosan oligosaccharide, which is a product that is mainly prepared from chitin or chitosan by acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis, is characterized by low molecular weight (MW), high degree of deacetylation (DD), low degree of polymerization (DP), less viscous, and complete water solubility [1]. Teodoro et al (2016) have found that treatment with 0.5% chitosan oligosaccharide in drinking water for six weeks significantly reduces the body weight in normal control Wistar rats, but increases the levels of AST, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin in Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats (a non-obese type 2 diabetic animal model), which might indicate mild hepatic injury [15]. They suggested that chitosan oligosaccharides may have potential for toxicological side effects in a diabetic condition. Drugs 2020, 18, x and liver histomorphology in normal Sprague-Dawley rats
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
