Abstract
This study was performed to investigate effects of dried leaf powders, water, 75% and 95% ethanol extracts of persimmon leaf and green tea on lipid metabolism, lipid peroxidation and antioxidative enzyme activity in 12-month-old rats. Fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 542$\pm$4.5g were blocked into groups according to their body weight and were raised for four weeks with the diets containing 5%(w/w) dried leaf powders of persimmon(Diospyros kaki Thunb) and green tea(Camellia Sinensis O. Ktze), water or 75% and 95% ethanol extracts from same amount of each dried tea powder. Food intake was not significantly different among all groups, but weight gain of green tea powder group was significantly lower than that of control group. Plasma and liver lipid levels of all the tea diet groups were lower than those of control group. Especially, 75% ethanol extract of persimmon leaf decreased total lipid and triglyceride concentrations in plasma and 95% ethanol extract of persimmon leaf decreased liver total lipid level. However, there was no difference between 75% ethanol extracts groups and 95% ethanol extracts groups in lipid metabolism. Superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase activities in erythrocyte were remarkably increased by all the green tea diets. SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in liver were increased by the feeding of ethanol extracts from green tea and persimmon leaf powder. Liver xanthine oxidase activity was not different among all groups. Plasma Thiobarbirutic acid reactive substance(TBARS) concentrations of all the green tea diet groups were significantly low. It was thought that high flavonoids in green tea inhibited plasma lipid peroxidation by promoting SOD, catalase activities in erythrocyte. 95% ethanol extract of persimmon leaf also inhibited plasma lipid peroxidation by high vitamin E and beta-carotene. Persimmon leaf powder decreased liver TBARS concentration by vitamin E, betacarotene and vitamin C and by increasing activities of antioxidative enzymes with flavonoids. In conclusion, dried leaf powders, water, 75% and 95% ethanol extracts of persimmon leaf and green tea were effective in lowering lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in 12-month-old rats. Above all, ethanol extracts of persimmon leaf decreased plasma and liver lipid levels and persimmon leaf powder effectively inhibited liver lipid peroxidation. Extracts of green tea leaf inhibited plasma lipid peroxidation. In lowering lipid levels and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, ethanol extracts were more effective than water extracts, but there was no difference between 75% ethanol extracts and 95% ethanol extracts in lipid metabolism. (Korean J Nutrition 34(5) : 499~512, 2001)
