بررسي اثر تعداد وعده هاي غذايي بر ليپيدها و ليپوپروتيين هاي سرم در موش صحرايي

The Effect of Meal Frequency on Serum Lipid and Lipoproteins in Rats

Background and Objectives: Although laboratory animals have been used to overcome to the some limitations such as shortage of the period of study and the absence of a well-controlled intervention in food pattern human studies, the effects of meal frequency on lipid profiles has not investigated in laboratory animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of meal frequency on lipid profiles in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats aged 11 weeks (210 15 g), after 10 days acclimation period were weighed and randomly assigned into two equal groups. They were fed the same food as eight meals at 2-hour intervals starting from 6 pm (nibbling group) or as two meals at 9 pm and 6 am (gorging group) for 60 days. Before and at the end of intervention, the serum lipid levels were determined enzymatically. During the study period, the amount of daily food and water intake were recorded. The results were compared with each other using studentʹs t-test. Results: The food and water intakes were non-significantly lower in gorging group than nibbling group. Nibbling regimen caused a reduction in the total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels, whereas these parameters increased during gorging regimen. However, none of these changes was significant. There was a significant increase (p<0.05) in total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels in gorging regimen compared to nibbling regimen. Conclusion: According to the results obtained, there is no major difference between nibbling and gorging dietary regimens with respect to lipid profiles.