Effect of Diets Supplemented with Pharbitis Seed Powder on Serum and Hepatic Lipid Levels, and Enzyme Activities of Rats Administered with Ethanol Chronically

The levels of $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GAGA) have been analyzed from pharbitis seeds by an AccQ-Tag amino acid analysis procedure. The GABA level of the pharbitis seeds was 125 nmole per gram fresh weight. To investigate the effects of pharbitis seed diets on serum and hepatic lipid levels, as well as enzyme activities of rats administered with ethanol chronically, Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed with either a AIN-76 diet (control), a control diet plus ethanol, a control plus pharbitis seed diet, or a control plus pharbitis seed diet plus ethanol for 30 days. Pharbitis seed diets decreased the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and $\gamma$-GTP levels that were increased by the chronic ethanol administration. In addition, pharbitis seed diets decreased the liver triglyceride and total lipid levels that were increased by the ethanol administration. However, ethanol metabolism was not retarded by the pharbitis seed supplemented diets. The present Endings, plus previous data showing the differences in the effects of cabbage diets having a high or a low level of GABA on the lipid levels and the enzyme activities of rats (Cha and Oh [2000] J. Korean Soc. Food Sci. Nutr. 29, 500-505), raise the possibility that GABA in plants could have a nutraceutical role in the recovery of chronic alcohol-related diseases.