The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glasswort powder intake on lipid metabolism. Rats were divided into three groups: a group fed a normal diet (CON), one fed a high fat diet (HFC), and one fed a high fat diet with glasswort powder (HFG). They were fed their respective diet for four weeks. Body weight was significantly lower (9%) in the HFG group than in the HFC group at the fourth week. According to the feces analysis, the HFG group showed the highest fat level (120% vs. CON; 138% vs. HFC) and fecal calories (110%). The concentration level of TG and LDL-C was 71.8% lower in the HFG group compared to the HFC group, while the concentration level of HDL-C was 152% higher in the HFG group. Expression of FABP in the liver was 197% greater in the HFG compared to the HFC group, with the expression of CPT-1 showing a similar tendency. These results suggest that glasswort powder intake suppresses weight gain and improves fat metabolism at the level of liver cells. From these results, we suggest that glasswort powder is effective against obesity by inhibiting the absorption of fat in the digestive tract.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Solanum nigrum L. (SNL) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (GUF) mixture powder on performance and blood compositions of broilers. Seven-day old Ross broiler male chickens were randomly given into one of the 5 dietary treatments for 5 weeks: 1) no SNL-GUF and antibiotics (control); 2) 5 ppm avilamycin (T1); 3) 0.5% SNL and GUF (T2); 4) 1.0% SNL and GUF (T3); and 5) 2.0% SNL and GUF (T4). Each dietary group (n = 10) had three replicates. Body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens were not significantly different among treatments. Carcass weight was highest at both 4 (P<0.05) and 6 weeks (P>0.05) in the treatment with 1.0% SNL and GUF. Liver, but not Spleen, weights at both 4 and 6 weeks were significantly higher in the treatments with 0.5% SNL and GUF treatment (P<0.05). The contents of protein, albumin, bilirubin, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glucose, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol in blood serum at the 4weeks and 6 weeks were not significantly influenced. These results suggest that addition of SNL and GUF could be use a substitutes for antibiotics since they did not influence to the productivity and the blood composition of the broilers.