Rice bran protein ameliorates diabetes, reduces fatty liver, and has renoprotective effects in Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats

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The beneficial effects of rice bran protein (RBP), which comprises 12.8% of rice bran, have not been fully characterized. Therefore, the effects of RBP on diabetes, fatty liver, and diabetic nephropathy were investigated in Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats. Six-week-old male ZDF rats were fed RBP or casein (C)-based diets for 8 weeks. RBP-fed rats gained significantly more weight, but fat depot was not different from C-fed rats. Hemoglobin A1c and plasma adiponectin levels were significantly improved by consuming RBP rather than C. In RBP-fed rat livers, lipid accumulation was much lower, and the concentrations of metabolites involved in glycolysis, and betaine and carnitine metabolism were significantly higher. In addition, urinary albumin and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase excretion, and histological damage in the kidney, were significantly lower in RBP-fed rats. In conclusion, an RBP-containing diet ameliorates diabetes, fatty liver, and diabetic nephropathy in rats, compared with a C-based diet.