Preclinical analysis of the physiological effects of a functional cheese with improved fatty acid profile

Resumen del trabajo presentado al 11th European Nutrition Conference celebrado en Madrid del 26 al 29 de octubre de 2011.-- et al.

[Introduction]: Dietary lipids impact in health, not only due its total intake, but also because its fatty acid composition. Reducing total fat content and improving fatty acid profile is targeted during functional foods development. [Objectives]: Preclinical evaluation of physiological effects of functional cheese with low fat content and improved fatty acid profile (low saturated fatty acids, high omega3 and CLA content). [Method/Design]: Development of functional cheese was done with milk obtained from animals that were specifically feed for this study. Healthy Wistar male rats were divided in 3 experimental groups (n=8) and fed with diets composed by standard rodent chow plus experimental or control cheese (50% w.w): Standard Cheese (SC), Light Cheese (LC) or Light Functional Cheese (LFC). During 8 weeks animals were monitored and at the end of the study blood samples were collected. Plasma metabolism biomarkers were analysed. Results were compared using non parametric statistics. All the experimental process was evaluated and approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of La Paz University Hospital and followed the experimental animal protection legislation (RD 1201.2005). [Results]: Anthropometrical measurements during the intervention showed a weight gain management effect in both low fat content cheeses (LC and LFC) compared with SC. This effect was significantly higher in the first 2 weeks of study. No significant differences between experimental groups were shown in plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL or glucose at the end of study. However, significant lower plasma free fatty acid content was measured in LFC group compared with LC and SC groups, which that may be related with an energetic balance effect at adipose tissue level. [Conclusions]: Functional cheese developed by reducing whole fatty content and improving fatty acid lipid profile may have in weigh management and energy balance control.

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