2017 Volume 23 Issue 1 Pages 57-62
The nutrient content of the leaves of sweet potato cultivar Koganesengan was determined to be 35.0 kcal energy, 89.0 g water, 3.9 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 1.0 g carbohydrates, 1.2 g minerals, and 4.1 g dietary fiber/100 g fresh weight. The polyphenol content of the leaves was 11.5 g chlorogenic acid equivalents per 100 g dry weight. Some reports have described that the consumption of dietary fiber and polyphenols is effective in treating dyslipidemia. Therefore, we investigated the influence of sweet potato leaves on lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet. After 35 days of rearing, the weight gain and adipose tissue weight were lower in the rats fed a high-fat diet supplemented with sweet potato leaves than in those not fed sweet potato leaves. Plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, and liver total cholesterol level were significantly lower in rats fed sweet potato leaves compared to rats fed the high-fat diet alone. These results suggested that the simultaneous intake of sweet potato leaf and the high-fat diet inhibited the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in rats.
