Effect of Sodium Alginate on Fat Contents and Digestive Organs of Rats Fed with Fat-free Diet

Abstract

Rats were fed a fat-free diet with or without soluble dietary fiber in seaweeds, sodium alginate, to investigate the effect of fiber on digestive organs and fat contents of liver and serum under the condition of no fat. Food intake of rats fed on diets with alginate was smaller than that without alginate during the early feeding period, but there was no difference between the rats fed with basal and alginate diets on the final day. Body weight and body weight gain of rats fed with alginate were less than those fed without alginate. Fecal weight of the alginate diet group was the largest. Wet weights of digestive organs such as liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, cecum, small intestine, and large intestine were not significantly different among each diet group. In the liver, fat concentrations were significantly higher in rats fed without fat than in those fed with fat. The fat content in serum of fat-free diet rats was the highest, whereas that of the alginate diet rats was the lowest. © 1995, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.