
Food &
Function
PAPER
Cite this: Food Funct., 2024, 15, 5224
Received 7th December 2023,
Accepted 31st March 2024
DOI: 10.1039/d3fo05416k
rsc.li/food-function
Extrusion and chlorogenic acid treatment increase
the ordered structure and resistant starch levels in
rice starch with amelioration of gut lipid
metabolism in obese rats†
Xixi Zeng, Ling Chen * and Bo Zheng *
Dietary interventions are receiving increasing attention for maintaining host health and diminishing
disease risk. This study endeavored to elucidate the intervention effect of chlorogenic acid coupled with
extruded rice starch (CGA-ES) in mitigating lipid metabolism disorders induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in
rats. First, a significant increase in resistant starch (RS) and a decrease in the predicted glycemic index
(pGI) were observed in CGA-ES owing to the formation of an ordered structure (Dm, single helix, and
V-type crystalline structure) and partly released CGA. Compared to a physical mixture of starch and
chlorogenic acid (CGA + S), CGA-ES showed a more potent effect in alleviating lipid metabolism dis-
orders, manifesting as reduced levels of blood glucose, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG),
aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP), as well as
body weight. It is correlated with an improvement in the gut microecology, featuring bacteria known for
cholesterol reduction and butyrate production (Butyricicoccus,Bifidobacterium,Fusicatenibacter,
Turicibacter, and Enterorhabdus), along with bile acid, butyrate and PG (PG (17:0/16:0) and PG (18:1/
16:0)). The RS fraction of CGA-ES was found to be the main contributor. These findings would provide
evidence for future studies to regulate lipid metabolism disorders, and even obesity using CGA-ES.
1. Introduction
In recent years, lipid metabolism disorders, characterized by
abnormal levels of lipids and metabolites in blood and
tissues, have become very common and should be emphasized
because of their close association with various metabolic dis-
eases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease,
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cancer.
1,2
High-fat diet
(HFD) is recognized as a major contributor to the disorders of
lipid metabolism. Prolonged consumption of a high-fat diet
has a significant impact on human metabolism, particularly
lipid metabolism. In general, this leads to elevated levels of
total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipo-
protein cholesterol (LDL-C), while high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C) levels decrease, accompanied by an
increase in body weight.
3
In a grave manner, these changes
can seriously compromise the organ function and structure,
fueling a concerning increase in the prevalence of the meta-
bolic syndrome.
4
In light of this, the control and treatment of
lipid metabolism disorders before the emergence of clinical
diseases are of paramount importance.
Lipid metabolism is a complex process that involves the
regulation of glucose, fatty acids and cholesterol, which are
often intertwined. Glucose can undergo conversion into fatty
acids and cholesterol via de novo lipid biosynthesis pathways.
5
Growing evidence shows that controlling the absorption of
glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride would be beneficial for
the balance of lipid metabolism.
6,7
As one of the body’s
primary sources of energy, digestible starches could exacerbate
postprandial lipemia, and the generated glucose would
promote the uptake of cholesterol, which has the risk of
increasing serum cholesterol.
8
The resistant starch (RS),
known for its indigestibility and absence of glucose production
in the upper gastrointestinal tract, has been found to play a
crucial role in glucose homeostasis, fat metabolism, chole-
sterol levels and mineral absorption.
9
In an experiment of
Wistar rats, the consumption of higher levels of RS for 22 days
caused a decrease in body weight, serum TC and serum TG.
10
In a research study involving 12 individuals, meals containing
5.4% RS significantly increased fat oxidation and had the
†Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: https://doi.org/
10.1039/d3fo05416k
School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for
Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, Engineering Research
Center of Starch and Vegetable Protein Processing Ministry of Education, South
China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
E-mail: felchen@scut.edu.cn, bzheng@scut.edu.cn
5224 |Food Funct.,2024,15, 5224–5237 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024
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