Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A mixture of poly-γ-glutamic acid and levan ameliorates obesity in high fat diet-induced mice

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Food Science and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Anti-obesity effects of a mixture of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) and levan (PL, 6:4 w/w) were evaluated using C57BL/6 mouse models including normal diet (G1), normal diet containing 5% of PL (G2), high-fat diet (HFD) (G3), HFD with 3% of PL (G4), and HFD with 5% of PL (G5) and followed by breeding 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, the content of epididymal fat and the size of fat cell for test animals were significantly decreased by comparing G3 (p < 0.05). Similarily, contents of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, insulin and leptin in G5 were significantly decreased than G3. Fat accumulations and inflammatory degrees within liver and fat cells were also decreased in the G5 than G3. In addition 5% PL diet might not have any problems causing liver damages. Conclusively, a mixture of γ-PGA and levan could help to improve obesity and dyslipidemia due to high-fat meals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Araujo JR, Martel F. Sibutramine effects on central mechanisms regulating energy homeostasis. Current Neuropharmacology. 10: 49-52 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bae KH, Kim WK. Proteomics studies of brown adipose tissue(BAT) activation and white adipose tissue(WAT) browing. Food Science and Indusrty. 50: 26-35 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi MA. Effects of cheonggukjang added phellinus linteus myceria on lipid metalbolism in adult female rats. Journal of Life Science 19: 1679-1683 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Choi SH, Park JS, Whang KS, Yoon MH, Choi WY. Production of microbial biopolymer, poly(γ-glutamic acid) by Bacillus subtilis BS 62. Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry. 47: 60-64 (2004)

  • Chu NF, Stampfer MJ, Spiegelman D, Rifai N, Hotamisligil GS, Rimm EB. Dietary and lifestyle factors in relation to plasma leptin concentrations among normal weight and overweight men. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 25: 106-114 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greenway FL, Caruso MK. Safety of obesity drugs. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. 4: 1083-1095 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen DL, Toubro S, Stock MJ, Macdonald IA, Astrup A. Thermogenic effects of sibutramine in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 68: 1180-1186 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Havel PJ. Role of adipose tissue in body-weight regulation: mechanisms regulating leptin production and energy balance. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 59: 359-371 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He J, Zhang P, Shen L, Niu L, Tan Y, Chen L, ZhaoY, Bai L, Hao X, Li X, Zhang S, Zhu L. Short-chain fatty acids and their association with signalling pathways in inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism. International Journal of Moecular Sciences. 21: 6356 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch IB, Juneja R, Beals JM, Antalis CJ, Wright Jr EE. The evolution of insulin and how it informs therapy and treatment choices. Endocrine Reviews. 41: 733-755 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jang KH. Kang SA, Cho YH, Kim YY, Lee YJ, Hong KH, Seong KH, Kim SH, Kim CH, Rhee SK, Ha SD, Choue RW. Prebiotic properties of levan in rats. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 13: 348-353 (2003)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jang EK, Seo JH, Park SC, Yoo BS, Lee SP. Characterization of mucilage produced from the solid-state fermentation of soybean grit by Bacillus firmus. Food Science and Biotechnology. 16: 722-727 (2007)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jang EH, Nam DH, Na HG, Jang KH. Effects of mixed culture of Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus acidophilus on Cheonggukjang quality. Korean Journal of Food Preservation 25: 527-534 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang SA, Hong KH, Jang KH, Kim SH, Lee KH, Chang BI, Kim CH, Choue RW. Anti-obesity and hypolipidemic effects of dietary levan in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. 14: 796-804 (2004)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kang SA, Hong K, Jang KH, Kim YY, Choue R, Lim Y. Altered mRNA expression of hepatic lipogenic enzyme and PPARα in rats fed dietary levan from Zymomonas mobilis, Journal of Nutrition Biochemistry. 17: 419-426 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim AR, Lee JJ, Lee H, Chang HC, Lee MY. Body-weight loss and cholesterol-lowering effects of Cheonggukjang (a fermented soybean paste) given to rats fed a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. Korean Journal of Food Preservation. 17: 688-697 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee NK, Hahm YT. Antioxidative characteristics of browning reaction products of glucose poly-γ-glutamate(Glu-PGA) obtained from amino-carbonyl reaction. Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology. 37: 812-825 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee HS, Chang MJ, Kim SH. Effects of poly-γ-glutamic acid on serum and brain concentrations of glutamate and GABA in diet-induced obese rats. Nutrition Research and Practice. 4: 23-29 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu TT, Liu XT, Chen QX, Shi Y. Lipase inhibitors for obesity: A review. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 128: 110314 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuzawa Y, Funahashi T, Kihara S, Shimomura I. Adiponectin and metabolic syndrome. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 24: 29-33 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health and Welfare. 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. (2018)

  • Na HG, Jang EH, Nam DH, Kim MA, Kim MJ, Sohn EH, Kim HD, Jang KH. Physicochemical properties and isoflavone content of Chaga Cheonggukjang with Lactobacillus acidophilus KCTC 3925 starter. Korean Journal of Food Preservation. 25: 221-228 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Na HG, Kim MA, Shin JW, Cha YJ, Park BS, Kim MJ, Lee JC, You SG, Jang KH. Improvement of viscous substance production during Cheonggukjang fermentation added with glycine. Food Science and Biotechnology 29: 953-959 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair P, Navale G, Dharne MS. Poly-gamma-glutamic acid biopolymer: a sleeping giant with diverse applications and unique opportunities for commercialization. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. Published online: 01 April 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01467-0

  • Oh SM, Jang EK, Seo JH, Ryu MJ, Lee SP. Characterization of γ-polyglutamic acid produced from the solid-state fermentation of soybean milk cake using Bacillus sp. Food Science and Biotechnology. 16: 509-514 (2007)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sainsbury A, Cusin I, Rohner-Jeanrenaud F, Jeanrenaud B. Adrenalectomy prevents the obesity syndrome produced by chronic centrol neuropeptide Y infusion in normal rats. Diabetes. 46: 209-214 (1997)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Son SJ, Lee SP. Evaluation of rheological and functional properties of roasted soybean flour and mixed cereals fermented by Bacillus sp. Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. 40: 450-457 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Proenca R, Maffei M, Barone M, Leopold L, Friedman JM. Positionmal cloning of the mouse obese gene and its human homologue. Nature. 372: 425-432 (1994)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. NRF-2017R1D1A3B03034313).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food and Nutrition, Kangwon National University, Samcheok, 25949, Republic of Korea

    Ki-Hyo Jang & Mi-Ja Kim

Authors
  1. Ki-Hyo Jang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mi-Ja Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mi-Ja Kim.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jang, KH., Kim, MJ. A mixture of poly-γ-glutamic acid and levan ameliorates obesity in high fat diet-induced mice. Food Sci Biotechnol 31, 349–356 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-022-01037-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-022-01037-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation