ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cassia seed acts on decreasing blood pressure and blood lipid, protecting liver and inhibiting bacteria. It is worth to carry on a further discussion on its effect of weight loss.OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of cassia seed decoction drunk naturally on body mass of nutritional obese rats in physiological state.DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping was designed, in which, control experiment, analysis of variance and q test were applied in comparison among groups.SETTING: Cardiovascular Institute, Second Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Cardiovascular Instutute,Second Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology from March 2004 to September 2004, in which, 27 male SD rats were employed and randomized into 3 groups, named normal control group, model group and cassia seed group, 9 rats in each one.METHODS: [1] In normal control, the rats were bred with basic forage(the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrate were 18.2%, 4.5% and 55.2%successively, with 14.54 kJ caloric each gram) and drank water naturally.In model group, the rats were bred with high nutritive forage (the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrate were 23.7%, 21.6% and 39.0% successively,with 19.56 kJ caloric each gram) and drank water naturally. In cassia seed group, the rats were bred with high nutritive forage and drank cassia seed decoction of various concentration naturally. The concentration of cassia seed decoction started at 10 g/L (equally contained 10 mg raw cassia seed each milliliter) and was increased by 100% concentration each day (10 g/L)till to 60 g/L on the 6th day. Since the 7th day, the concentration of 60 g/L was maintained till to the 7th weekend. [2] It was to record appetite and drinking quantity at definite time every day and calculate absorbed caloric(intake mass × caloric contained each gram). It was to measure body mass at definite time each week. On the 7th weekend, the body length of rat was measured and Lee's index was calculated [ 3√body mass (g)×103/body length (cm)]MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Influences of cassia seed on body mass, Lee's index, appetite, caloric and drinking quantity in nutritional obese rats.RESULTS: Twenty-seven rats all entered result analysis. [1] Body mass:that in model group from the 3rd to 7th week in experiment group was higher remarkably than normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). That in cassia seed group from the 2nd to 7th week was lower remarkably than that in the model group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). [2] Lee's index: that in model group and cassia seed group on the 7th week of experiment was higher remarkably than that in the normal control group [(358.60±8.55), (341.84±7.29), (322.00±6.89) g/cm, P ＜ 0.05-0.01] and that in cassia seed group was lower remarkably than that in the model group (P ＜ 0.05). [3] Appetite: that in model group and cassia seed group was lower remarkably than that in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01) and that in cassia seed group was near to the control group (P ＞ 0.05). [4] Absorbed caloric: that in model group and cassia seed group was higher remarkably than that in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01) and that in cassia seed group was near to the control group (P ＞ 0.05). [5] Drinking quantity: that in cassia seed group was basically near to that in the model group and the control group (P ＞ 0.05) and that in model group was near to the control group. It was indicated that cassia seed decoction at mass concentration of 60 g/L did not affect appetite.CONCLUSION: Cassia seed decoction at mass concentration of 60 g/L inhibits remarkably the increased body mass of nutritional obese rats and is free from influence on appetite.