The effect of spice principles on body composition and lipogenesis in rats

Inclusion of a spice like red pepper fruit and kokum powder in the diet led to a lowering of total lipids, particularly triglycerides in the liver. The total body fat was lowered in animals fed red pepper or capsaicin but not in animals fed kokum powder which had less effect on the total animal body wt. content. Hyperlipogensis and hypertriglyceridemia caused by fructose feeding were significantly decreased in capsaicin-​fed animals. Lipogenesis was decreased as reflected by the reduced activities of the key lipogenic enzymes obsd. in albino rats

Curcumin, garcinol and dietary N-​3 fatty acids, lower the release of lysosomal enzymes in rat peritoneal macrophages

Male Wistar rats (12rats​/group) were fed a diet contg. 8 wt % coconut oil or groundnut oil or cod-​liver oil for a total period of 8 wk. The diets were also supplemented with 2 wt % groundnut oil for providing essential fatty acids. During the last 2 wk, 6 rats form each group were addnl. given curcumin (30 mg​/kg body wt​/day) or garcinol (5 mg​/kg body wt​/day) in 1 mL groundnut oil. The peritoneal macrophages from rats fed cod-​liver oil diet secreted lower levels of lysosomal enzymes collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase as compared to those from rats fed coconut oil or groundnut oil diets. Curcumin and garcinol significantly lowered the secretion of these lysosomal enzymes from macrophages in animals given coconut oil or groundnut oil diet. These studies indicated that dietary cod-​liver oil (rich in n-​3 fatty acids)​, and spice principles curcumin and garcinol can lower the secretory functions of macrophages in a beneficial manner. (Mol Cell Biochem 203:153-​161, 2000)​

Palm Oil and Rice Bran Oil: Current Status and Future Prospects

The continued demand for edible oils by the ever increasing population makes it pertinent to explore new sources. In this direction, two new edible oils namely palm oil and rice bran oil have been subjected to nutritional and toxicological evaluations of their chemicals constituents. An attempt has been made in this article to assess the acceptability of the two oils based on the various investigations that have been carried out so far