Abstract
Aloe vera gel supercritical CO2 extract (AVGE) has been shown to contain five phytosterols, reduce visceral fat accumulation, and influence the metabolism of glucose and lipids in animal model experiments. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that obesity is an established risk factor for several cancers including colorectal cancer. Therefore, we examined the effects of AVGE on intestinal polyp formation in Apc-deficient Min mice fed a high-fat diet. Male Min mice were divided into normal diet (ND), high fat diet (HFD), low dose AVGE (HFD+LAVGE) and high dose AVGE (HFD+HAVGE) groups. The ND group received AIN-93G diet and the latter 3 groups were given modified high-fat AIN-93G diet (HFD) for 7 weeks. AVGE was suspended in 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and administered orally to mice in HFD+LAVGE and HFD+HAVGE groups every day (except on Sunday) for 7 weeks at a dose of 3.75 and 12.5 mg/kg body weight, respectively. ND and HFD groups received 0.5% CMC alone. Between weeks 4 and 7, body weights in the HFD and HFD+LAVGE groups were reduced more than those in the ND group. However, body weights were not reduced in the HFD+HAVGE group. Mice were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and their intestines were scored for polyps. No significant differences were observed in either the incidence and multiplicity of intestinal polyps (≥0.5 mm in a diameter) among the three groups fed HFD. However, when intestinal polyps were categorized by their size into 0.5-1.4, 1.5-2.4, or ≥2.5 mm, the incidence and multiplicity of large polyps (≥2.5 mm) in the intestine in the HFD+HAVGE group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group. We measured plasma lipid (triglycerides and total cholesterol) and adipocytokine [interleukin-6 and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin] levels as possible indicators of mechanisms of inhibition. The results showed that HMW adiponectin levels in the HFD group were significantly lower than those in the ND group. However, the levels in the HFD+HAVGE group were significantly higher than those in the HFD group. These results indicate that HAVGE reduced large-sized intestinal polyps and ameliorated reduction in plasma HMW adiponectin levels in Min mice fed HFD.
Highlights
Aloe barbadensis Miller (Aloe vera) is a plant belonging to the family Liliaceae
Body weights in the high fat diet (HFD) and HFD+LAVGE groups those in the HFD+HAVGE group were 117.2±4.3
Body weights were not reduced in the HFD+HAVGE Plasma IL-6 and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels group and were significantly higher than those in the HFD
Summary
Aloe vera gel, obtained from the inner thin-walled parenchyma cells, has been used as a health food and to treat burns and other wounds. Extracts from this gel showed preventive effects against insulin resistance in mice (Pérez et al, 2007), the anti-hyperglycemic effect in type 2 diabetic model mice (Tanaka et al, 2006), and lipid-lowering effect in rats (Rajasekaran et al, 2006). AVGE was shown to contain phytosterols, which are a part of the active ingredient in terms of antihyperglycemia, antihyperlipidemia effects and the reduction in visceral fat accumulation in animal model experiments (Misawa et al, 2008). Yamada et al (2011) demonstrated that the ingestion of AVGE contributed to the reducing effects of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GTP) levels in obese men with abnormal serum ALT
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