ῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌThe mean body weight of male mice fed a high-fat diet and seaberry leaf polyphenols (SBLPP) juice for eight weeks was significantly lower than that of controls, with the weights of abdominal adipose tissue and liver being particularly low. Additionally, blood GTP activity in experimental mice was significantly lower than in controls, demonstrating the inhibitory e#ects of SBLPP juice on development of fatty liver, which may otherwise be induced by a high-fat diet. Furthermore, expression of acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), mediumchain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), and fatty acid beta-oxidization enzymes significantly increased in experimental mice. In vitro experiments showed that SBLPP juice suppressed pancreatic lipase activity in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC/* being ../ ppm. It was therefore suggested that, in mice fed a high-fat and SBLPP juice diet, gene expression of fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes in the liver was enhanced, which increased the lipid metabolism and inhibited the pancreatic lipase activity, thus reducing lipid transportation to the body and increasing fecal lipid excretion. As a result, body fat deposition was inhibited.(Received Jun. ++, ,**1 ; Accepted Aug. 1, ,**1)

When mice fed a high-cholesterol diet were given 0.5 ml of a solution of Adzuki polyphenols (Adzuki-PP; 4 mg/ml) for two weeks via a catheter, the atherosclerotic index of experimental mice was signifi cantly lower than that of the control group, indicating a signifi cant inhibitory effect of Adzuki-PP on serum cholesterol level. In addition, the fecal cholesterol level in the experimental group was signifi cantly higher than that in the control group. Supplementation of Adzuki-PP to a concentration of 290 ppm lowered the solubility of micellar cholesterol in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating that Adzuki-PP inhibits cholesterol micellization. It was therefore suggested that the inhibitory effect of Adzuki-PP on cholesterol micellization in the digestive tract was associated with suppressed serum cholesterol levels.

Hepatic disorders were absent in female mice given both a high-fat diet and a drink containing adzuki polyphenol (APP) for seven weeks, with no significant di#erence observed in the amount of feces between the experimental and control (high-fat diet only) mice. However, the average weight of mice given the APP drink was significantly lower than that of control mice, and the di#erence in the weight of ovary circumference fat was particularly marked. Additionally, the fat content of the feces of the mice given the APP drink was significantly higher than that of control mice, indicating greater fat elimination via the feces. An in vivo experiment found an inhibitory e#ect on pancreatic-lipase-activity dependent on an APP concentration with an IC/* of-2.* ppm. Based on these results, it was suggested that in female mice given both a high-fat diet and the APP drink for a long period of time, APP inhibits pancreatic lipase activity, thus blocking the digestion and absorption of dietary fat and promoting fat elimination in the feces, thereby controlling weight gain.