Effects of Sea Tangle and Its Constituents in Diet on Immune Functions of Diabetic Mice

  • Cho, Sung-Hee (Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Catholic University of Taegu-Hyosung) ;
  • Suna Im (Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Catholic University of Taegu-Hyosung) ;
  • Rina Yu (Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Ulsan University)
  • Published : 2000.12.01

Abstract

Dieary effects of sea tangle on immune functions were investigated in diabetic mice. Four groups of ICR mice weighing 33.36$\pm$1.01 g were fed either an AIN-76 diet only (control), or with additional sea tangle powder, sea tangle water extract, and alginate at the level of 13.6%, 4%, and 1%, respectively by weight. Cellulose was omitted in sea tangle powder and alginate diets. After 10 days of feeding respective experimental diets, all mice were made diabetic by five consecutive intramuscular injections of streptozotocin (40mg/kg body weight per day) and fed the diets for four more weeks. Plasma IgG concentrations but not those of IgM were significantly higher in mice fed sea tangle powder, extract or alginate than those on the control diet. Plasma TNF$\alpha$ levels were, however, lower in those fed sea tangle power or water extract than control and alginate fed groups. TNF$\alpha$ releases from macro phages isolated from four groups and cultured with 5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL LPS for 24 hors showed a similar tendency to the results of plasma concentrations in the respective groups, but IL-1$\beta$ releases were not different among four groups. Lymphocyte proliferation in response to LPS (10$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL) measured using splenocytes cultured for 3 days was highest in the alginate fed group (594$\pm$38%) and those of sea tangle powder (536$\pm$47%) and extract (547$\pm$34%) fed groups tended to be higher than the control (523$\pm$30%). It is concluded that sea tangle contains immunomodulatory components besides alginate that could enhance humoral immunity of itself. The immunomodulatory effects of sea tangle constituents is regarded as beneficial for diabetic subjects.

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