Abstract
In the present study, the effects of Euglena and paramylon on hyperglycemia were examined in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF; type 2 diabetes mellitus model) rats. OLETF rats were fed an AIN-93 M diet containing cellulose, Euglena, or paramylon for 10 weeks. Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats were used as nondiabetic controls. An oral glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at 0 and 10 weeks. OLETF control rats were obese because of bulimia and showed abdominal fat accumulation and hyperglycemia. Euglena supplementation improved hyperglycemia and decreased food intake, body weight gain, and abdominal fat. However, there were no changes in the paramylon-supplemented group compared to the OLETF control group. Triglyceride concentrations in the serum and liver were lower in Euglena-supplemented rats than in OLETF control rats. There was a correlation between hepatic triglyceride concentration and the area under the curve (AUC) of OGTT at 10 weeks. This suggests that the improvement in glycemic control in the Euglena-supplemented group may depend on substances other than paramylon present in Euglena.
Highlights
Euglena gracilis Z, which is a unicellular photosynthesizing green algae, stores various nutrients such as vitamins and minerals
Food intake, and organ weight The initial body weight was greater in Otsuka Long–Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats than in nondiabetic rats (Table 2)
The final body weight and food intake were lower in OLETF Euglena group than in the OLETF control group and OLETF paramylon group
Summary
Euglena gracilis Z, which is a unicellular photosynthesizing green algae, stores various nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. It is easy to digest and absorb these micronutrients, because unlike plants, Euglena has no cell wall. The polysaccharide paramylon is a flattened disk and is one of Euglena’s characteristic components. Paramylon consists of only glucose (average of 700 glucose molecules). Methylation analysis and infrared absorption spectra analysis showed that paramylon consists of only β-1,3 glycosidic bonds. X-ray analysis indicated that paramylon is formed from the triple helix of glucan strands.[1] paramylon degrades in solvents such as DMSO and NaOH, it is essentially insoluble in water
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