Elsevier

Appetite

Volume 71, 1 December 2013, Pages 16-21
Appetite

Research report
Changes in satiety hormone concentrations and feed intake in rats in response to lactic acid bacteria

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2013.06.093Get rights and content

Highlights

  • To investigate the satiety hormone concentration in rats fed fermented milk.

  • To investigate feed intake.

  • Concentration of satiety hormones measured from blood.

  • Significant changes in hormone concentration detected e.g. PYY.

Abstract

A negative energy balance can be accomplished by reducing the caloric intake which results in an increased feeling of hunger. This physiological state is regulated by secretion of satiety hormones. The secretion of these hormones can be influenced by ingestion of e.g. fat. Fat, dairy beverage and synbiotic mixture have been found to have satiety-inducing effects in humans and rats. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the change of satiety hormone concentration in rats in response to feeding of fermented milks containing lactic acid bacteria. Two studies were conducted with Wistar rats randomly allocated into groups receiving Lactobacillus fermented (2 L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. salivarius and L. rhamnosus) milk. A single isocaloric oral dose with the test item or control was given to the rats. Blood samples were taken after dosing with the test product and the satiety hormones were measured. For the test groups, significant changes could be detected in PYY concentrations after 60 min, although some groups had a significant lower feed intake. In conclusion, some probiotic Lactobacillus strains may modify satiety hormones production. However, more studies are needed to evaluate their potential of prolonging satiety.

Introduction

A slight imbalance in the energy equilibrium between intake and expenditure of energy, can lead to significant changes in body weight over time and eventually lead to obesity. Obesity is one of the major health problems facing all ages worldwide, and is a risk factor for several chronic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis of weight-bearing joints, and asthma (Peeters et al., 2003, Rippe, 1998). Genetic, environmental, metabolic and behavioral issues may all contribute to the development of obesity (Rippe, 1998). However, the small changes in energy balance that may lead to weight gain might be prevented by slight modifications in feed intake, such as the inclusion of functional feeds for weight management. Some foods or food components, such as nuts (St-Onge, 2005), tea (Josic, Olsson, Wickeberg, Lindstedt, & Hlebowicz, 2010) and fiber (Hess et al., 2011, Mathern et al., 2009, Hull et al., 2012) have been studied for their effects on satiety, with mixed results.

Fermented milk represents an excellent source of nutrients such as calcium, protein, phosphorus and riboflavin. During the fermentation of milk, lactic acid and other organic acids are produced. The fermentation process of milk with lactic acid bacteria, adds taste and improves the aroma and digestibility of milk, in addition to an increase of the shelf-life of the product. Fermented milk may offer several health benefits, e.g. improvement of the immune system, promote or help in recovery from diarrhea, increase nutrient bioavailability and reduce blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. There could be an association of availability of nutrients with appetite suppression, since a higher nutrient availability may lead to a graduate release of glucose, which is involved in controlling appetite (Beausoleil et al., 2007, Jauhiainen et al., 2005, Silva et al., 2008).

Ingestion of feed triggers a number of stimuli, such as the release of the gastrointestinal hormones cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) within the gastrointestinal tract, modulating appetite sensations. Ingested nutrients stimulate CCK and GLP-1 secretion by indirect, duodenally activated, neurohumoral mechanisms, as well as by direct luminal exposure within the distal intestine. CCK is released in the duodenum in the presence of fats and proteins. GLP-1 is released by intestinal L-cells in response to carbohydrates and fats, although it is secretion may also be stimulated by the central nervous system (Orskov et al., 1994, Reimer, 2006). The hormone ghrelin is produced in the fundus of the stomach and its synthesis can be suppressed by carbohydrates, thereby reducing the feeling of hunger. After a meal, before the nutrients arrive into the ileum and colon, peptide YY (PYY) is secreted into the blood by the cells lining the ileum and colon. PYY decreases feed intake by inhibiting gut motility, acting as the so-called “ileal brake” to cause a sense of satiety (Aponte, Fink, Meyer, Tatemoto, & Taylor, 1985).

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of milk fermented by one of five Lactobacillus strains on feed intake and secretion of satiety hormones in rats.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Two Experiments (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, see Supplemental data) were conducted with a total of 230 male Wistar (HsdBrlHan:WIST) rats supplied by Harlan (Horst, the Netherlands). Further, Experiment 2 consisted of two subparts; referred to as Experiments 2a and 2b. The studies were reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the State Provincial Office of Southern Finland, approval numbers 2007-07458 (Experiment 1) and 2008-03964 (Experiments 2a and 2b). The “Act on Use

Experiment 1

For PYY, no significant difference could be detected for the groups receiving fermented milks in comparison to the negative control group (Fig. 1a). GLP-1 levels did not differ from the negative control in any of the groups, Fig. 1b. However, the CCK levels significantly changed during the time points for the groups receiving fermented milk versus the negative control group (Fig. 1c). A significant increase (Kruskal–Wallis) could be detected at the 40 min time point for the groups receiving L.

Discussion

The gastrointestinal tract is equipped with specialized receptors monitoring physiological activity that pass information about the metabolic state, resulting from feed consumption to the brain in form of satiety signals, thus participating in the appetite control. Once the satiety hormones or signals are secreted in response to ingested food, they promote termination of a meal (Mathern et al., 2009). Although, all macronutrients contribute to satiety, a stronger short term effect is detected

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