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Oilseeds ameliorate metabolic parameters in male mice, while contained lignans inhibit 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation in vitro

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Abstract

Purpose and background

The focus was directed to the study of two of the most lignan-rich food sources: sesame and flaxseeds. Recent epidemiological and experimental evidences suggesting that these foods may improve metabolic functions underlying metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods

To characterize the effect of these oilseeds on metabolic functions, we conducted an experimental study aimed at preventing adiposity and metabolic imbalance in a mouse model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced MetS. Statistical analysis was performed by two-way analysis of variance test followed by post hoc Bonferroni analysis.

Results

We studied the effect of the oilseeds sesame and flaxseed on metabolic parameters in mice on a HFD. When the HFD was integrated with 20 % of sesame or flaxseed flours, the mice showed a decrease in body fat, already at day 15, from time 0. The size of the adipocytes was smaller in epididymal fat, liver steatosis was inhibited, and insulin sensitivity was higher in mice on the supplemented diets. The supplemented diets also resulted in a significant increase in the serum levels of the lignan metabolites enterodiol and enterolactone compared with the controls. The expression of genes associated with the inflammatory response, glucose metabolism, adipose metabolism and nuclear receptor were altered by the oilseed-supplemented diets. Some of the most abundant lignans in these oilseeds were studied in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells and were effective in inhibiting adipocyte differentiation at the minimal dose of 1 nM.

Conclusions

The consumption of sesame and flaxseed may be beneficial to decrease metabolic parameters that are generally altered in MetS.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Deborah Bordiga for histochemical analysis and Alessandro Bulla and Francesca Piazza for English writing and editing assistance. This work was supported in part by European Union Grants QLK4-CT-2002-02221 (EDERA) and LSHB-CT-2006-037168 (EXERA).

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology/3rd Laboratory, Civic Hospital of Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Giorgio Biasiotto, Marialetizia Penza, Isabella Zanella, Luigi Caimi & Diego Di Lorenzo

  2. Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Giorgio Biasiotto, Isabella Zanella & Luigi Caimi

  3. Human Pathology II, School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Moris Cadei

  4. Department of Pathology I, School of Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

    Cristina Rossini

  5. Laboratory of Wood and Paper Chemistry, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

    Annika I. Smeds

Authors
  1. Giorgio Biasiotto
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  2. Marialetizia Penza
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  3. Isabella Zanella
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  7. Annika I. Smeds
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  8. Diego Di Lorenzo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diego Di Lorenzo.

Additional information

Giorgio Biasiotto and Marialetizia Penza have contributed equally to this work.

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Biasiotto, G., Penza, M., Zanella, I. et al. Oilseeds ameliorate metabolic parameters in male mice, while contained lignans inhibit 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Eur J Nutr 53, 1685–1697 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-014-0675-2

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