Supplement of bamboo extract lowers serum monocyte chemoattractant protein - 1 concentration in mice fed a diet containing high level of saturated fat

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) is an inflammatory chemokine upregulated in obese subjects contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of an ethanol/water extract from bamboo Phyllostachys edulis (BEX) on blood concentration of MCP-1. C57BL/6J mice were fed standard or high fat diet with or without BEX supplement (11 g dry mass per 17,000 kJ) for 6 months. Ten mice were used in each group. Body weight and food consumption were measured weekly. After euthanization, the weight of visceral fat and circulating MCP-1 concentration were measured. In comparison to the standard control group, the high fat control group increased body weight, abdominal fat storage, and serum MCP-1 concentration by 60% (P<0.001), 266% (P<0.001), and 180% (P<0.01), respectively. While the high fat BEX group showed a 3% decrease in body weight (P<0.01), 24% decrease in mesenteric fat depot (P<0.01), and 49% decrease in serum MCP-1 (P<0.05) in comparison to the high fat control group. This study suggests BEX supplement in the high fat diet ameliorates elevated MCP-1 concentrations in the blood, whether this is related to modulated endocrine properties of the visceral fat is to be studied.