The Effect of Black Garlic Extract on Lipid Metabolism in Restraint Stressed Rats

In order to determine the effective concentration, 2, 7, and 14 brix black garlic extracts (BGE) were fed to restraint stressed rats and the lipid metabolism was analyzed. The dietary intake of the 14 brix BGE-fed group was 547.64±13.99 g/4 weeks and it was significantly higher than that of the control group. The weight of all organs from the all BGE-fed groups showed no significant differences. While BGE concentration increased, BGE-fed groups tend to have low content of blood glucose. It was the lowest in the 14 brix BGE-fed group (121.32±3.50 mg/dl). Total cholesterol content was 54.54±1.63~65.84±2.61 mg/dl. Total cholesterol content of the 14 brix BGE-fed group was the lowest and, in addition, lower than the normal group. Triglyceride content of serum showed the same tendency. HDL-cholesterol concentrations of the restraint stressed control (RSC) group were significantly higher than those of 7 and 14 brix BGE-fed groups. LDL and VLDL-cholesterol contents showed contrary results. GOT, GTP, and ALP activity of serum were lower when BGE concentration was higher. It is expected that BGE has a liver protective activity. In the liver, total lipids and triglyceride contents were significantly lower in BGE-fed groups than in the ISC group. However, total cholesterol content showed no significant difference between groups. TBARS content in liver of the 2 brix BGE-fed group was not significantly different than control, while 7 and 14 brix BGE-fed groups were lower than control. Glycogen content in the liver was only significantly lower in the 14 brix BGE-fed group than in the RSC group. Findings indicate that feed of BGE over 7 brix contributes to resolving the restraint-stressed rats by improving the lipid metabolism and liver protective activity.

Key words : Black garlic, restraint stress, cholesterol, GOT, GPT