Excessive fat and AGEs intake associated with unhealthy Western dietary patterns have given rise to conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. However, recent studies have found certain amino acids to boost glycaemia and lower adiposity.
Based on this, researchers at several universities in Taipei conducted a joint study to determine if an isoleucine-enriched amino acid mixture would impede adiposity development and prevent impaired glycaemic control in rats placed on a fat- / AGE-containing (FAD) diet.
They divided 24 male rates equally into three groups: a control group, a group on a FAD diet, and a group on a FAD diet but supplemented with an amino acid mixture containing isoleucine, leucine, valine and arginine.
Rats on acids
The intervention period lasted nine weeks, after which the rats' glycaemic control capacity, body composition, and spontaneous locomotor activity were assessed.
The researchers also collected their fasting blood samples to analyse metabolic-related hormones (insulin, leptin, adiponectin and corticosterone), and their adipose tissues for weighing.
Subsequently, they found that compared to the healthy controls, FAD rats displayed increases in weight, body fat percentage, blood glucose levels, glycated haemoglobin and leptin.
However, between the healthy controls and the amino acid-supplemented FAD rats, there was little difference in glycated haemoglobin, fasting blood glucose levels and leptin.
In addition, the FAD rats given the amino acid mixture experienced a greater rise in their serum testosterone levels.
However, they also wrote that while the isoleucine-enriched amino acid mixture slowed the rate of weight gain in the rats on FAD diets, it had no significant effect on their body fat accumulation.
They further stated that the amino acid mixture had no impact on spontaneous locomotor activity in the FAD-fed rats.
Despite this, they concluded: "These findings thus suggest that the novel amino acid mixture — consisting of leucine, isoleucine, valine and arginine — exhibits clear protective benefits on preventing FAD-induced glycaemic impairments."
Source: International Journal of Medical Sciences
"An Amino Acids Mixture Attenuates Glycemic Impairment but not Affects Adiposity Development in Rats Fed with AGEs-containing Diet"
Authors: Yi-Hung Liao, et al.