Search

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of flaxseed in animals subjected to ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups (n = 6): control group (CG) which received a control diet and water ad libitum; flaxseed group (FG) which received control diet with an addition of 25% flaxseed flour and water ad libitum; ethanol control group (ECG) which received control diet and a solution of 10% ethanol (v/v) as the only liquid source; and ethanol flaxseed group (EFG) which received control diet with an addition of 25% flaxseed flour and a solution of 10% ethanol (v/v) as the only liquid source. The animals were euthanized at 60 days, when blood was collected for biochemical analysis and liver was collected for histomorphometric analysis. Rats fed with diets containing flaxseed showed lower values of alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.020) and lower concentration of total bilirubin (P = 0.006), direct bilirubin (P = 0.013) and indirect bilirubin (P = 0.018) compared to ECG and EFG. The groups receiving flaxseed diets demonstrated higher expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme (P < 0.001) than CG and ECG but did not affect thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) expression (P = 0.055). Regarding liver analysis, the ECG and EFG showed larger hepatocyte nuclei and paler cytoplasm than the groups who had not received ethanol, and less in fluid accumulation (oedema) in the cytoplasm than was seen in the FG and EFG livers. These latter two groups showed fewer fatty cells than was seen in the groups that had not been given flaxseed, so that the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis was not justified. In conclusion, therefore, this study showed that the indicators of ethanol chronic consumption can be reduced by the introduction of continuous flaxseed dietary intake., (© 2018 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2018 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.)

Nutritional recommendations have promoted the increased need to consume n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Flaxseed is the richest dietary source of n-3 fatty acids among plant sources and is widely used for its edible oil. This study aimed to investigate whether maternal use of flaxseed oil has effects on pancreas morphology in the female offspring of diabetic mothers. Female Wistar rats (n = 12) were induced into diabetes by a high-fat diet and low dose of streptozotocin. After confirmation of the diabetes, rats were mated, and once pregnancy was confirmed, they were allocated into three groups (n = 6): high-fat group (HG); flaxseed oil group (FOG); and control group (CG) (non-diabetic rats). At weaning, female offspring (n = 6/group) received standard chow diet. The animals were euthanized at 180 days. Pancreas was collected for histomorphometric and immunohistochemistry analysis. HG showed hypertrophy of pancreatic islets (P < 0.0001), whereas FOG offspring had islets with smaller diameters compared to HG (P < 0.0001). HG offspring showed higher percentage of larger (P = 0.0061) and lower percentage of smaller islets (P = 0.0036). HG showed lower islet insulin immunodensity at 180 days (P < 0.0001), whereas FOG was similar to CG (P < 0.0001). Flaxseed oil reduced the damage caused by maternal hyperglycaemia, promoting normal pancreas histomorphometry and β-cell mass in female offspring., (© 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2015 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.)

Unlabelled: Cardiovascular diseases are a major public health problem. Different risk factors have been recognized as the main causes of the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Flaxseed is a source of dietary fiber, lignans, and alpha-linolenic acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prolonged supplementation with flaxseed flour as preventive therapy on cardiovascular risk parameters in healthy Wistar rats., Material and Methods: Female Wistar rats were divided into two groups after giving birth and during lactation period: the control group was fed with diet based on casein and the flaxseed group was fed with diet based on casein containing 25% of flaxseed flour. At weaning, 10 male offspring from each group continued to receive the same diets from their mothers during 250 days. The body weight, visceral fat mass, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, VLDL, glucose and thickness of the aorta were analyzed., Results: The body weight, visceral fat mass, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, VLDL, glucose and thickness of the aorta values were statistically lower when compared to control group., Conclusion: The data suggest that flaxseed flour supplementation in healthy wistar rats for a prolonged period may decrease the thickness of the aorta and may be used as a preventive measure in modulating some modifiable risk factors related to cardiovascular disease., (Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the effect of flaxseed on rat milk creamatocrit and its contribution to offspring weight gain during lactation., Methods: The study was conducted with 22 Lister Hooded rats divided into two groups: Control Group (CG, n = 11), which received a casein-based diet with 17% protein, and Flaxseed Group (FG, n = 11), which received a 25% flaxseed diet supplemented with 14% casein, totaling 17% protein. Food consumption was controlled per individual cage and litter size. Maternal milk creamatocrit and offspring weight variation until weaning age were also evaluated., Results: FG was similar to CG concerning food intake (FG = 76.46±31.87 g; CG = 76.7±33.36 g; p = 0.9613) and equivalent to CG concerning litter size (FG = 4.94±2.34; CG = 5.5±3.19; p = 0.435). The same was found for milk fat content (FG = 18.4±4.76; CG = 15.3±6.03; p = 0.204) and total energy value (FG = 212.92±46.4; CG = 181.1±60; p = 0.1964). FG was similar to CG both in offspring body weight at weaning (FG = 37±6.96 g; CG = 32.6±7.5 g; p = 0.1817) and in weight gain (FG = 31.8±7.0 g; CG = 27.7±7.5 g; p = 0.2104)., Conclusion: A total of 25% flaxseed promoted an adequate offspring growth.