Awa (Tokushima) lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity in rats

Abstract

Drinking tea is recommended for promoting health due to its bioactive nutrients, such as catechins and caffeine. In Tokushima area, we have a unique traditional tea, named Awa tea, which are fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus plantarum. The present study was designed to investigate anti-obesity effects of the Awa tea and compare with those of non-fermented green tea. Obese male Wistar rats (19 weeks of age) were given by low energy diets containing 3% of Awa and green tea extracts, respectively, or without any tea extracts (control), for 4 weeks. Awa tea contained smaller amount of catechins than green tea, although they contained similar amounts of polyphenols. This finding indicates that there are distinct kinds of polyphenols from catechins. The diets containing Awa and green tea extracts further decreased whole body weight, fat tissue mass and plasma leptin level, compared with control diet. In addition, their diets increased the daily amount of lipid excreted to feces and total 24-h-energy consumption, compared with the control group. However, there is no significant difference in these anti-obesity effects between Awa tea and green tea. Our results indicate that Awa lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea similarly enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity, at least in part, through the increase in fat energy consumption and the decrease in fat absorption in rats.

The role of lipid and carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitors in the management of obesity: a review of current and emerging therapeutic agents

“…193 Administration of green tea extract (3% of diet) to rats fed a high fat diet decreased body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation, this correlated with an increase in fecal lipids. 194 An open study carried out in moderately obese patients showed that administration of AR25 for 3 months decreased body weight and waist circumference by 4.6% and 4.48% respectively. 195 Again, these effects could be the result of the aforementioned combination of enzyme inhibition and increased thermogenesis.…”

Goishi tea leaf powder affects lower body weight and visceral fat accumulation during energy restriction in obese rats

“…Recent studies have reported that oral feeding 1.5% and 4% green, oolong, black, and pu-erh tea leaves to SD rats for 30 weeks could lower the serum concentrations of total cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol levels (10). Our previous study also demonstrated that compared to a low-energy diet, oral ingestion of 3.0% Awa-bancha leaves combined with a low-energy diet significantly reduced body weight and prevented fat absorption in obese rats (11). It is very encouraging to find that Goishi tea leaves can further reduce body weight and fat mass during diet restriction.…”

The role of lipid and carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitors in the management of obesity: a review of current and emerging therapeutic agents

“…A study performed in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed that addition of green tea extracts to the diet (0.01% and 0.2% of diet) significantly reduced maltase (both doses) as well as saccharase and lactase (higher dose) activities 193. Administration of green tea extract (3% of diet) to rats fed a high fat diet decreased body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation, this correlated with an increase in fecal lipids 194. An open study carried out in moderately obese patients showed that administration of AR25 for 3 months decreased body weight and waist circumference by 4.6% and 4.48% respectively 195.…”