Abstract
The potential of natural products to prevent obesity have been investigated, with evidence to suggest that chitosan has anti-obesity effects. The current experiment investigated the anti-obesity potential of prawn shell derived chitosan on a range of variables relevant to obesity in a pig model. The two dietary treatment groups included in this 63 day study were: T1) basal diet and T2) basal diet plus 1000 ppm chitosan (n = 20 gilts per group (70 ± 0.90 kg). The parameter categories which were assessed included: performance, nutrient digestibility, serum leptin concentrations, nutrient transporter and digestive enzyme gene expression and gut microbial populations. Pigs offered chitosan had reduced feed intake and final body weight (P< 0.001), lower ileal digestibility of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE) (P< 0.05) and reduced coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of gross energy and nitrogen (P<0.05) when compared to the basal group. Fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) gene expression was down-regulated in pigs offered chitosan (P = 0.05) relative to the basal diet. Serum leptin concentrations increased (P< 0.05) in animals offered the chitosan diet compared to pigs offered the basal diet. Fatness traits, back-fat depth (mm), fat content (kg), were significantly reduced while lean meat (%) was increased (P<0.05) in chitosan supplemented pigs. Pigs offered chitosan had decreased numbers of Firmicutes in the colon (P <0.05), and Lactobacillus spp. in both the caecum (P <0.05) and colon (P <0.001). Bifidobacteria populations were increased in the caecum of animals offered the chitosan diet (P <0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that prawn shell chitosan has potent anti-obesity/body weight control effects which are mediated through multiple biological systems in vivo.
Highlights
The potential of natural products for preventing obesity is being investigated, due to synthetic compounds having some harmful side effects
Animals offered chitosan had lower backfat depths and total carcass fat content compared to the basal group (P< 0.05)
The present study hypothesised that dietary supplementation of chitosan would cause a reduction in dietary intake, body weight and carcass fat content with a down-regulation of long chain fatty acid transporter and digestive enzyme gene expressions, while altering gut microbial populations in favour of a leaner body weight
Summary
The potential of natural products for preventing obesity is being investigated, due to synthetic compounds having some harmful side effects. Chitosan, is a non-toxic, natural polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed β-(1–4)-linked d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-dglucosamine and has been shown to control body weight [1, 2]. The control of body weight is influenced primarily by three interrelated factors; food intake, nutrient absorption and body fat stores [3]. Studies have shown that dietary supplementation of chitosan reduces feed intake in both mice [4] and pigs [2] and has been associated with an increase in serum leptin levels. Other anti-obesity effects of chitosan may be mediated through the modulation of gut microbiota [7, 8] and subsequent alterations to nutrient absorption which favour a leaner body weight
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