Trypsin inhibitor from tamarindus indica L. seeds reduces weight gain and food consumption and increases plasmatic cholecystokinin levels.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Seeds are excellent sources of proteinase inhibitors, some of which may have satietogenic and slimming actions. We evaluated the effect of a trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L. seeds on weight gain, food consumption and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats.

METHODS:

A trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus was isolated using ammonium sulfate (30-60%) following precipitation with acetone and was further isolated with Trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Analyses were conducted to assess the in vivo digestibility, food intake, body weight evolution and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. Histological analyses of organs and biochemical analyses of sera were performed.

RESULTS:

The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduced food consumption, thereby reducing weight gain. The in vivo true digestibility was not significantly different between the control and Tamarindus trypsin inhibitor-treated groups. The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus did not cause alterations in biochemical parameters or liver, stomach, intestine or pancreas histology. Rats treated with the trypsin inhibitor showed significantly elevated cholecystokinin levels compared with animals receiving casein or water.

CONCLUSION:

The results indicate that the isolated trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduces weight gain by reducing food consumption, an effect that may be mediated by increased cholecystokinin. Thus, the potential use of this trypsin inhibitor in obesity prevention and/or treatment should be evaluated.

• Authors: Joycellane Alline do Nascimento Campos Ribeiro, Alexandre Coellho Serquiz, Priscila Fabíola dos Santos Silva, Patrícia Batista Barra Medeiros Barbosa, Tarcísio Bruno Montenegro Sampaio, Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Junior, Adeliana Silva de Oliveira, Richele Janaina Araújo Machado, Bruna Leal Lima Maciel, Adriana Ferreira Uchôa, Elizeu Antunes dos Santos, Ana Heloneida de Araújo Morais
• Journal: Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) (Clinics (Sao Paulo)) Vol. 70 Issue 2 Pg. 136-43 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1980-5322 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25789523 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Plant Extracts
• Trypsin Inhibitors
• Cholecystokinin

Topics

• Animals
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Cholecystokinin (blood)
• Digestion (drug effects)
• Eating (drug effects)
• Gastrointestinal Tract (anatomy & histology)
• Male
• Models, Animal
• Obesity (drug therapy, prevention & control)
• Phytotherapy (methods)
• Plant Extracts (therapeutic use)
• Rats, Wistar
• Satiation (drug effects)
• Seeds (chemistry)
• Tamarindus (chemistry)
• Trypsin Inhibitors (isolation & purification, metabolism, therapeutic use)
• Weight Gain (drug effects)