Antioxidative and Hypolipidemic Effects of Dietary Green Tea Polyphenols in ddY Mice Fed Fish Oil-rich Diet

The antioxidative and hypolipidemic effects of green tea polyphenols (TP) in mice fed a fish oil-supplemented diet were investigated. Male ddY mice of 8 weeks old were given the following diets for 21 days: control diet (a diet supplemented with 5. 0% corn oil), a diet with 0. 5% corn oil and 4. 5% cod liver oil, or a diet with 0. 5% corn oil, 4. 5% cod liver oil, and 0. 5% TP. The contents of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver of mice given the fish oil plus TP diet were significantly higher than those in the group given the fish oil-only diet. The hypolipidemic effect of fish oil was enhanced by additional administration of TP. Administration of the fish oil-supplemented diet with TP inhibited the increase of lipid peroxide levels caused by fish oil in the liver and serum of mice. The decrease of vitamin E content in the biological samples caused by fish oil feeding was also suppressed by additional TP administration. Thus, addition of 0.5% TP to the fish oil-supplemented diet has significant hypolipidemic and antioxidative effects in mice.