May rye bread enriched with green tea extract be useful in the prevention of obesity in rats?

Abstract

We examined the hypothesis that rye bread enriched with green tea extract (GTE) (at two different doses) can prevent obesity as a component of a hypercaloric diet by decreasing the absorption of energy providing nutrients and regulating lipid metabolism-related hormones, in comparison with normal caloric diet used in the Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: group ND received a normal caloric diet, group HRB received a hypercaloric diet with control rye bread, groups HRB0.8% and HRB1.1% received a hypercaloric diet with rye bread enriched with 0.8% and 1.1% GTE, respectively. Higher food intake in the ND group compared with the other groups of rats was noted; however, there was no statistical difference in the energy intake among any of the groups. Consumption of the hypercaloric diet increased the body weight of the rats (in comparison with ND), but rats from HRB1.1% group showed a tendency towards smaller gains in body weight (∼4.0%) when compared to the HRB group. The addition of 1.1% GTE to rye bread resulted in an increase in the energy content of faeces, compared to both HRB and ND groups. No differences were observed in plasma leptin concentrations between the four groups. The insulin level in rats fed a hypercaloric diet was higher in comparison to rats from the ND group. The consumption of rye bread enriched with 1.1% GTE may increase faeces energy excretion, but without significantly suppressing body weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, or changing biochemical parameters related to lipid metabolism.