Farinhas da casca e semente de lichias (Litchi chinensis Sonn) e respostas metabólicas em ratos Wistar, na dislipidemia induzida

Abstract

Dyslipidemias are associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and hepatic steatosis, becoming the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Lychee and its by-products exhibit numerous biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic and hepatoprotective, due to the presence of different phytochemical compounds, which can help in the control of obesity and dyslipidemia. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical and phytochemical composition of lychee peel (PF) and seed (SF) flour, and investigate their effects, at concentrations of 5 and 10%, on several obesityrelated parameters in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. The PF had the highest contents of flavonoids, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, lipids, proteins, ash and fiber, while the SF stood out by the contents of potassium, sulfur, copper, zinc and carbohydrates. Both flours were positive for reducing sugars, protein and amino acids, tannins, catechins, flavonoids, depsides and depsidones. Only the peel flour was positive for alkaloids. For the biological study, the animals were divided into 6 groups of 5 animals. In the first 21 days, the animals were fed a hypercholesterolemic diet, except for the control group. In the following 21 days, their diets were modified, and they received a standard diet (control); hypercholesterolemic (hyper); hypercholesterolemic + 10% PF (PF10); hypercholesterolemic + 5% PF (PF5); hypercholesterolemic + 10% SF (SF10); hypercholesterolemic + 5% SF (SF5). The intake of PF and SF attenuated weight gain, reduced body mass index, glucose and the levels of triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, LDL-c + VLDL-c, the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase, besides the leptin, percentage of hepatic lipids, liver lipid peroxidation and frequency of severe steatosis. The histological study of the aorta did not show the formation of the atheromatous plaque in any of the treatments analyzed. Flours of lychee by-products were presented as promising sources of nutrients and bioactive substances, and are potentially useful in the prevention of the risk of diseases associated with obesity.