Consumption of interesterified medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols improves lipid metabolism and reduces inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCT) were synthesized from rapeseed oil (RO), one kind of commonly used edible long-chain triacylglycerols, and then delivered to high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Compared with RO, MLCT consumption exhibited more potent effects on reducing body and tissue weight gains, plasma triacylglycerols (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels, and on improving hepatic TG, TC, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and lipoprteinlipase contents. Meanwhile, lower amounts of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and endotoxin in plasma, and lower levels of interleukin-6, TNF-α and higher levels of interleukin-10 in both livers and white adipose tissues were detected in MLCT-fed rats. MLCT intake also remarkably suppressed the size of adipocyte and the number of macrophages. In conclusion, our study suggested that interesterified MLCT was more efficacious in improving lipid metabolism and inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obese rats than RO.