Effectivity Of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) In Acidic Condition To Prevent Metabolic Syndrome Related Disorders In Sprague Dawley Rats.

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a growing health problem all over the world, including Indonesia. It is characterized by at least 3 out of 5 criterias: abdominal obesity, high level of blood fasting glucose, hypertension, higher level of serum triglyceride and lower level of cholesterol HDL. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is known to have beneficial effect on preventing metabolic syndrome related disorders. One of the mechanisms is through its antioxidative activity which is quite influenced by pH. The following study was aimed to investigate the effectivity of green tea in acidic condition against metabolic syndrome related disorders. Twenty female Sprague Dawley rats aged 10 weeks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments; (S) standard diet, (TL) high fat diet, (TLT) high fat diet and green tea extract, and (TLTA) high fat diet and green tea extract in acidic condition, for 10 weeks. It was found that green tea in acidic condition was as effective as green tea in usual condition in reducing weight gain, visceral fat accumulation and raising the plasma HDL cholesterol concentration. It was also found that green tea in acidic condition was not effective, unlike green tea in usual condition, to suppress blood pressure, but more effective in lowering plasma triglyceride. These results suggest that green tea in acidic condition has, in some aspects, the same effects as caused by green tea in usual condition, and different effects in the other aspects of metabolic syndrome.