Implications of ketogenic diet on weight gain, motor activity and cicatrization in Wistar rats.

The ketogenic diet (KD) was initially developed for the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy and a possible alternative for the obesity treatment, dyslipidemia, resistance to insulin, and nonalcoholic steatosis. However, few studies evaluate the diet effects in rats behavior or cicatrization. The objective of this work was to analyze the influence of the ketogenic diet on the weight gain, emotional behavior of the rats submitted to experimental models such as elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF). The cicatrization time and leukocyte differentiations were also observed. Twenty male Wistar rats of two months age were divided into two groups. One was submitted to ketogenic diet (KD), and the control group (Co) was fed on commercial rations. After 7 days, the animals were weighed and submitted to EPM and OF. A small surgical incision was made and their blood was collected to a leukocyte count. It was verified that the rats from the KD presented less weight gain as compared with the rats from the Co (p < 0.05). The KD did not reveal differences on the behavior measures in the EPM model, but in the OF presented an ambulatory activity significantly bigger. The animals from the KD presented a cicatrization significantly better than Co after 72 h (p = 0.0035) and 96 h (p < 0.1). There was no difference between the groups for leukocyte count. Our results suggest that the KD can interfere on rats deambulation in animal models and improve the cicatrization response.

Evaluation of the hypotensive potential of bovine and porcine collagen hydrolysates.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and antihypertensive activity of bovine and porcine collagen hydrolysates in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were investigated. The hydrolyzed collagens were subjected to ultrafiltration using membranes with cutoffs of 30-50 kDa (permeate P1), 5-8 kDa (permeate P2), or 1-2 kDa (permeate P3) in order to obtain products with a narrower range of molecular size. The hydrolyzed bovine and porcine collagens and their permeates showed low ACE inhibitory activity (50% inhibitory concentration [IC(50)] = 5.42-15.58 mg of protein/mL). However, after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, a significant increase in the ACE inhibitory potency of the hydrolyzed collagens was observed (IC(50) = 0.97-4.02 mg of protein/mL). Permeates had a higher ACE inhibitory activity and hypotensive activity than non-ultrafiltered hydrolysates. The P1 permeate of bovine and porcine collagen and the P3 fraction of the porcine collagen hydrolysate exhibited the best antihypertensive activity in vivo, promoting a maximum reduction in blood pressure of 22 mm Hg, 21.33 mm Hg, and 21.33 mm Hg, respectively, while lisinopril promoted a maximum reduction of 51.00 mm Hg. These results suggest that the commercial collagen hydrolysates of bovine and porcine origin may be a potential source of bioactive peptides.