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Effects of medium-chain fatty acids on body composition and protien metabolism in overweight rats

Efectos de los ácidos grasos de cadena media sobre la composición corporal y el metabolismo proteico de ratas con sobrepeso

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Abstract

The lack of efficiency of classical treatments for obesity has led to propose alternative strategies. In order to obtain information about the effects of dietary fatty acid composition on body fat and protein metabolism, overweight female rats were fed on isoenergetic diets, using either medium-chain (MCT) or long-chain (LCT) triglycerides as a lipid source. After 23 days, the MCT group had mildly decreased body weight but greatly reduced adipose tissue depots. All fat depots were significantly diminished. MCT-fed rats showed a decrease in some hormones involved in energy balance, such as leptin and triiodothyronine. Feeding MCT resulted in improvements in nitrogen balance. Muscle protein content was similar in both treatments despite an increase in protein degradation in the MCT group. The present data clearly show that a diet with MCT as lipid fuel depresses weight gain and fat stores, relative to a standard LCT diet.

Resumen

La falta de eficacia de las dietas tradicionales en el tratamiento de la obesidad ha llevado a proponer estrategias alternativas. Con el objetivo de obtener información en ácidos grasos de la dieta sobre la grasa corporal y el metabolismo proteico, se alimentan ratas hembra con sobrepeso con dietas isoenergéticas que contienen triglicéridos con ácidos grasos de cadena media (MCT) o larga (LCT) como fuente lipídica. Tras 23 días, el grupo MCT muestra un descenso en el peso corporal junto con una importante reducción del depósito lipídico. Todas las localizaciones adiposas estudiadas se reducen significativamente. Este grupo MCT presenta menor concentración de algunas hormonas implicadas en el balance energético, tales como la leptina y la triyodotironina. La alimentación con MCT consigue mejora en el balance de nitrógeno. El contenido proteico muscular resulta similar en ambos grupos, aunque el grupo MCT muestra una mayor degradación proteica. Estos resultados muestran claramente que una dieta con MCT como fuente lipídica, frente a una dieta con LCT, reduce los depósitos grasos, ralentizando la ganancia de peso.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition & Food Science, University of the Basque Country, Paseo de la Universidad, 7, 01006, Vitoria, (Spain)

    E. Simón, A. Fernández-Quintela, M. Del Puy Portillo & A. S. Del Barrio

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  1. E. Simón
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  2. A. Fernández-Quintela
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  3. M. Del Puy Portillo
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  4. A. S. Del Barrio
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Correspondence to E. Simón.

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Simón, E., Fernández-Quintela, A., Del Puy Portillo, M. et al. Effects of medium-chain fatty acids on body composition and protien metabolism in overweight rats. J. Physiol. Biochem. 56, 337–346 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03179802

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03179802

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