Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Anti-obesity effects in rodents of dietary teasaponin, a lipase inhibitor

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 1459–1464 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Based on the inhibitory effects of teasaponin on pancreatic lipase activity in vitro, this study was performed to clarify whether teasaponin prevented obesity induced in mice by a high-fat diet for 11 weeks.

DESIGN: For in vitro experiments, assay for the inhibitory effects of teasaponin on pancreatic lipase activity was performed by measuring the rate of release of oleic acid from triolein in an assay system using triolein emulsified with lecithin, gum arabic, Triton X-100 or 4-methylumbelliferyloleate. For in vivo experiments, female ICR mice were fed a high-fat diet with or without 0.5% teasaponin for 11 weeks.

RESULTS: Teasaponin competitively inhibited the hydrolysis of triolein emulsified with lecithin, gum arabic, Triton X-100 or 4-methylumbelliferyloleate. Teasaponin inhibited the elevations of plasma triacylglycerol levels 3, 4 and 5 h after oral administration of lipid emulsion containing corn oil. Teasaponin suppressed the increases in body, parametrial adipose tissue weights and diameter in adipose cell size induced by a high-fat diet. Furthermore, feeding a high-fat diet plus teasaponin had no effect on stool frequency and content, but significantly increased triacylglycerol contents in feces as compared to feeding a high-fat diet.

CONCLUSIONS: The anti-obesity effects of teasaponin in high-fat diet-treated mice may be partly mediated through delaying the intestinal absorption of dietary fat by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kimura Y, Okuda H, Mori K, Okuda T, Arichi S . Effects of extracts of various kinds of tea on lipid metabolic injury in rats fed peroxidized oil J Jpn Soc Nutri Food Sci 1984 37: 223–232 (In Japanese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Okuda T, Kimura Y, Yoshida T, Hatano T, Okuda H, Arichi S . Studies on the activities of tannins and related compounds from medicinal plants and drugs. I. Inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation in mitochondria and microsomes of liver Chem Pharm Bull 1983 31: 1625–1631.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Han L-K, Takaku T, Li J, Kimura Y, Okuda H . Anti-obesity action of oolong tea Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 98–105.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kitagawa I, Hori K, Motozawa T, Murakami T, Yoshikawa M . Structures of new acylated oleanene-type triterpene oligoglycosides, theasaponins E1 and E2, from the seeds of tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze Chem Pharm Bull 1998 46: 1901–1906.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hirsch J, Gallian E . Methods for the determination of adipose cell size in man and animals J Lipid Res 1968 9: 110–119.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Akagi M, Fukuishi N, Kan T, Sagesaka YM, Akagi R . Anti-allergic effect of tea-leaf saponin (TLS) from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis) Biol Pharm Bull 1997 20: 565–567.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sagesaka-Mitane Y, Sugiura T, Miwa Y, Yamaguchi K, Kyuki K . Effect of tea-leaf saponin on blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats Yakugaku zasshi 1996 116: 388–395.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Sagesaka YM, Uemura T, Suzuki Y, Sugiura T, Yoshida M, Yamaguchi K, Kyuki K . Antimicrobial and anti-inflammtory actions of tea-leaf saponin Yakugaku zasshi 1996 116: 238–243.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Verger R . Pancreatic lipase. In: Borgstrom B and Brockman HL (eds). Lipase Elsevier: Amsterdam 1984 83–150.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Drent ML, Popp-Snijders C, Ader HJ, Jansen JB, van der Veen EA . Lipase inhibition and hormonal status, body composition and gastrointestinal processing of a liquid high-fat mixed meal in moderately obese subjects Obes Res 1995 3: 573–581.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Drent ML, van der Veen EA . First clinical studies with orlistat: a short review Obes Res 1995 3: (Suppl 4): 623s–625s.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Drent ML, Larsson I, William Olsson T, Quaade F, Czubayko F, von Bergmann K, Strobel W, Sjostrom L, van der Veen EA . Orlistat (Ro 18-0647), a lipase inhibitor, in the treatment of human obesity: a multiple dose study Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1995 19: 221–226.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hauptman JB, Jeunet FS, Hartmann D . Initial studies in humans with the novel gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor Ro 18-0647 (tetrahydrolipstatin) Am J Clin Nutr 1992 55: (Suppl 1): 309s–313s.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Kalivianakis M, Elstrodt J, Havinga R, Kuipers F, Stellaard F, Sauer PJ, Vonk RJ, Verkade HJ . Validation in an animal model of the carbon 13-labeled mixed triglyceride breath test for the detection of intestinal fat malabsorption J Pediatr 1999 135: 444–450.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Han L-K, Kimura Y, Okuda H . Reduction in fat storage during chitin–chitosan treatment in mice fed a high-fat diet Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 174–178.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Hill JO, Lin D, Yakubu F, Peters JC . Development of dietary obesity in rats: influence of amount and composition of dietary fat Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1992 16: 321–333.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lemonnier D . Effect of age, sex and site on the cellularity of the adipose tissue in mice and rats rendered obese by a high-fat diet J Clin Invest 1972 51: 2907–2915.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Obst BE, Schemmel RA, Czajka-Narins D, Merkel R . Adipocyte size and number in dietary obesity resistant and susceptible rats Am J Physiol 1981 240: E47–E53.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Segal R, Mansour M, Zaitschek DV . Effect of ester groups on the haemolytic action of some saponins and sapogenins Biochem Pharmac 1966 15: 1411–1416.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Abe H, Sakaguchi M, Konishi H, Tani T, Arichi S . The effects of saikosaponins on biological membranes. 1. The relationship between the structures of saikosaponins and haemolytic activity Planta Med 1978 34: 160–166.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Abe H, Sakaguchi M, Anno M, Arichi S . Erythrocyte membrane stabilization by plant saponins and sapogenins Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmac 1981 316: 262–265.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim Yu A, Akoev VR, Elemesov RE . Hyperosmotic hemolysis and antihemolytic activity of the saponin fraction and triterpene glycosides from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer. Membr Cell Biol 2000 14: 237–251.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Nguyen TD, Villard PH, Barlatier A, Elsisi AE, Jouve E, Duc NM, Sauze C, Durand A, Lacarelle B . Panax vietnamensis protects mice against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity without any modification of CYP2E1 gene expression Planta Med 2000 66: 714–719.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2nd Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan

    L-K Han, Y Kimura, M Kawashima & H Okuda

  2. Central Research Laboratory, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan

    T Takaku

  3. Koshiro Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Osaka, Japan

    T Taniyama & T Hayashi

  4. The Pharmaceutical Institute, Dalian University, Dalian-shi Liaoning, People's Republic of China

    Y-N Zheng

Authors
  1. L-K Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y Kimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M Kawashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T Takaku
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T Taniyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Y-N Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. H Okuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Han, LK., Kimura, Y., Kawashima, M. et al. Anti-obesity effects in rodents of dietary teasaponin, a lipase inhibitor. Int J Obes 25, 1459–1464 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801747

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801747

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links