Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Maltobionic Acid on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

We examined the effects of dietary supplementation with 5% maltobionic acid (MA), an indigestible disaccharide, on hepatic lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet for 30 days. Supplementation with MA lowered hepatic and serum triacylglycerol (TAG) levels and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance and elevated serum gastric hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level. MA supplementation remarkably decreased the hepatic expression of fatty acid synthesis-related genes/proteins and slightly increased the hepatic expression of β-oxidation-related genes. These results suggest that MA reduces hepatic TAG levels, probably via the suppression of fatty acid synthesis, accompanied by decreased hyperinsulinemia and increased GLP-1.