Protective effect of kombucha on rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet is mediated by its antioxidant activity

Abstract

Context: Kombucha (KT) is claimed to have various beneficial effects on human health, but there is very little scientific evidence available in the literature. Objective: The present study investigates the effects of Camellia sinensis (GT) Linn. (Theaceae) and KT, two natural drinks, on cholesterol and antioxidant status using a hypercholesterolemia rat model. Materials and methods: The present study compared the free-radical scavenging abilities and polyphenol levels of GT and KT. Wistar rats fed cholesterol-rich diets were given KT or GT (5 mL/kg body weight per day, po) for 16 weeks, then fasted overnight and sacrificed. The plasma lipid levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) serum levels, antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and creatinine and urea rats were examined. Results: KT had a phenolic compound of 955 ± 0.75 mg GAE/g) followed, by GT (788.92 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g). The free radical scavenging activity of KT was higher than GT. Compared with GT, KT induced lowered serum levels of TC, TG, VLDL-C, and LDL-C by 26, 27, 28, and 36%, respectively, and increased the serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). KT induced a 55% decrease of TBARS level in liver and 44% in kidney, compared with those of rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet alone. Moreover, CAT and SOD activities were reduced by 29 and 33%, respectively, in liver and 31 and 35%, respectively, in kidney, after oral administration of KT, compared with those of HCD-fed rats. Conclusion: The findings revealed that KT administration induced attractive curative effects on hypercholesterolemic, particularly in terms of liver-kidney functions in rats. Its effect on humans needs to be studied further.

Cholesterol-Lowering and Liver-Protective Effects of Cooked and Germinated Mung Beans (Vigna radiata L.)

“…Another study of mung beans showed a reduction in the concentrations of AST and ALT in animals treated with aqueous extract of fermented and germinated mung beans, rich in antioxidant compounds, in a model of alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis, compared to untreated animals [ 40 ]. Similarly, Bellassoued et al [ 41 ] found lower concentrations of these enzymes in rats fed hypercholesterolemic diets when they were treated with fermented green tea (konbucha) as compared with untreated animals. These authors attributed this protective effect to the antioxidant potential of fermented green tea.…”

Understanding Kombucha Tea Fermentation: A Review

“…And recently, Bellassoued et al. () worked with rats fed with cholesterol‐rich diets and high thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, and found that the TBARS concentration was significantly reduced in the liver and kidney after the treatment with the fermented tea. Their results showed that Kombucha tea could be considered as a therapeutic agent against liver and kidney toxicities.…”

Physiology of Acetic Acid Bacteria and Their Role in Vinegar and Fermented Beverages

“…Bellassoued et al. () demonstrated that the high TBARS concentration was significantly reduced in the liver and kidney of rats fed with cholesterol‐rich diets after the treatment with fermented tea (Bellassoued et al., ). The antitoxigenic effect of kombucha has been attributed to its antioxidant activity and the hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen were primarily attributed to the presence of DSL (Wang et al., ).…”

“…Investigations in cell lines animal models found that kombucha can protect against hepatotoxicity caused by several toxicants such as paracetamol, carbon-tetrachloride, aflatoxin B1, and acetaminophen (Jayabalan, Baskaran, Marimuthu, Swaminathan, & Yun, 2010;Pauline et al, 2001;Wang et al, 2014). Bellassoued et al (2015) demonstrated that the high TBARS concentration was significantly reduced in the liver and kidney of rats fed with cholesterol-rich diets after the treatment with fermented tea (Bellassoued et al, 2015). The antitoxigenic effect of kombucha has been attributed to its antioxidant activity and the hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen were primarily attributed to the presence of DSL (Wang et al, 2014).…”