Health functionality of dietary oleogel in rats fed high-fat diet: A possibility for fat replacement in foods

Abstract

This study was to determine the effect of oleogel on lipid metabolism in rats fed high-fat diet. Male SD rats (n = 32; 4-wk-old) and obese Zucker rats (n = 6) fed either beef tallow containing high fat diet (HFD) or beeswax oleogel containing canola oil (BOG) for 2 months. Substitution of 50% BT by BOG significantly reduced body weight. Increased serum triglyceride by HFD was reduced (P < 0.05) by BOG. Serum HDL cholesterol was increased (P < 0.05) by dietary BOG. HFD-induced increase in area of lipid and hepatic steatosis were decreased (P < 0.05) by BOG. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 expression was upregulated in the visceral fat in BOG compare to HFD group. Angiogenesis genes, vascular endothelial growth factor and nitric oxide synthase, were also increased (P < 0.05) by BOG in Zucker rats. These results suggest that BOG effectively decreases adipogenesis and improves angiogenesis in obese rat model.

Keywords

• Oleogel
• High-fat diet
• Obesity
• Blood characteristics
• Health functionality