Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
117. Effect of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) on Body Weight, Fat Accretion
and Energy Balance in Rats Fed High-Fat Diets (2010)
Eman Ibrahim Adawiya\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Mousa Numan Ahmad
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of green tea (GT) (Camellia
sinensis) either as a powder incorporated as part of the diet or as an extract in drinking
water on body weight, fat deposition, body energy balance, food intake and food
efficiency in rats fed high fat diet for 7 weeks. Thirty five Sprague-Dawley adult male
rats (280 ± 20 g weight) were used. Five rats were sacrificed at the beginning of the
experiment for the determination of body composition and energy content. The
remaining thirty rats were divided into two groups (15 rats/ group) depending on
dietary fat level, normal fat (NF) (4% soybean oil) and high fat (HF) (4% soybean +
24% sheep tallow) levels. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups (5 rats /
subgroup). Each subgroup of both NF and HF rats was given either a control diet 0%
green tea powder (GTP) and tap water, or a diet containing 3% GTP and tap water, or
a control diet (0% GTP) and 3% green tea extract (GTE) instead of tap water. At
the end of the feeding period, rats were starved overnight, sacrificed and analyzed for
body composition and energy content.
Compared to HF diets, feeding GTP with NF diet caused no significant
differences (P > 0.05) in the final body weight (411.48 ± 16.92 g vs. 412 ± 10.77 g),
weight gain (128.84 ± 5.39 g vs. 127.84 ± 14.11 g), accumulative fluid intake (1554.80
± 170.89 ml vs. 1276.80 ± 42.39 ml), and food efficiency ratio (14.46 ± 0.80 vs. 16.94
± 1.67).
Accumulative food intake of rats fed GTP with NF diet was significantly (P <
0.05) higher than the similar group fed HF diet (895 ± 32.12 g vs. 751.44 ± 13.25g).
Compared to HF diets, rats fed GTP with NF diets showed no significant differences
(P > 0.05) in final body energy (904.75 ± 35.31 kcal vs. 917.32 ± 27.10 kcal), body
energy gain (370.95 ± 35.31 kcal vs. 383.53 ± 27.10 kcal), metabolizable energy
intake (ME) (3568.81 ± 128.09 kcal vs. 3898.10 ± 68.73 kcal), energy expenditure
(3197.86 ± 99.40 kcal vs. 3514.57 ± 54.18 kcal), and in % energetic efficiency (11.55
± 0.84 % vs. 10.91 ± 0.71 %).
Metabolizable energy intake, was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in rat groups fed
NF diet with GTP compared to NF control and GTE groups (3568.81 ± 128.09 kcal vs.
3055.59 ± 96.04 kcal and 2984.09 ± 120.89 kcal, respectively). Similar results were
seen for % energetic efficiency (11.55 ± 0.84 % vs. 7.47 ± 0.65 % and 7.57 ± 1.43 %,
respectively). Offset results in energy expenditure (EE) compared to GTE group with
NF diet (3197.86 ± 99.40 kcal vs. 2771.85 ± 91.53 kcal) were noticed. Rats fed HF
diet with GTP, showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in metabolizable energy intake
(3898.10 ± 68.73 kcal) and energy expenditure (3514.57 ± 54.18 kcal) compared with
GTE with HF diet (3409.02 ± 220.73 kcal and 3085 ± 201.49 kcal, respectively).
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Volume 11, No. 25, 2011
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