• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.496-503
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• 2000

This study was designed to investigate the effects of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) powder on oxidative stress and membrane fluidity in liver membranes of rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats (160±10 g) were fed basic diet (control group), and experimental diets (SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups) added 200 and 400 mg/kg BW/day for 6 weeks. A significant differences between liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups could not be obtained. Membrane fluidities were dose-dependently increased (14.8% and 28.5%, 20.0% and 29.9%) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. Basal oxygen radicals (BOR) in liver mitochondria and mocrosomes were significantly inhibited (15.2% and 21.7%, 12.6% and 18.6%, respectively) by SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group. Induced oxygen radicals (IOR) in liver microsomes were significantly inhibited (15.5% and 16.1%, respectively) by SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups compared with control group, but IOR in liver mitochondria was significantly inhibited about 12.0% by SWP-400 group only compared with control group. Lipid peroxide (LPO) levels were significantly decreased (14.4% and 9.1%, respectively) in liver mitochondria and microsomes of SWP-400 group only compared with control group. Oxidized protein (OP) levels were remarkably decreased about 12.7% and 16.3% in liver microsomes only of SWP-200 and SWP-400 groups, but significant difference between liver motochondria could not obtained. These results suggest that administration of SWP may play an effective role in a attenuating a oxidative stress and increasing a membrane fluidity in liver membranes.