• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 2004

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of L-carnitine on the components of serum and liver and the effects on the anti-oxidant system. For this purpose, five experimental groups were setup. For fat source, perilla oil enough with unsaturated fatty acid and beeftallow enough with saturated fatty acid were supplemented together with L-carnitine to the rats. Five experimental groups kept eight Sprague-Dawley rats respectively, They were co group supplemented with basic diet or AIN-93, PO group supplemented with perilla oil, POC group supplemented with perilla oil and L-carnitine, BT group supplemented with beeftallow, and BTC group supplemented with beeftallow and L- carnitine. The results are. 1) Weight gain, food intake and FER were not different significantly among the experimental groups. 2) Significant difference was observed in serum total lipid(P<0.05), serum triglyceride(P<0.05), serum total cholesterol (P<0.05)and serum LDL cholesterol(P<0.05). Serum total lipid and serum triglyceride were significantly low in the groups supplemented with L-carnitine. Serum total cholesterol showed difference with the supplementation of L-carnitine in BTC only. LDL cholesterol showed no significant difference with the supplementation of L-carnatine, but total values of LDL-cholesterol were high in groups supplemented with beeftallow. 3) Total cholesterol in liver was low in POC group with the supplementation of L-carnitine however, there was no difference in BTC group with the supplementation of L-carnitine. In summary, dietary L-carnitine did not influence the weight gain, food intake and food efficiency ratio among the experimental groups, but had an effect of lowering the serum total lipid and triglyceride significantly in both groups which were supplemented with L-carnitine. The effect of lowering of sew total cholesterol with the supplementation of L-carnitine in beeftallow group(BTC) only. The effect of lowering of liver total cholesterol with the supplementation of L-carnitine in perilla oil group(POC) only.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.233-240
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of L-carnitine on growth performance, organ weight, biochemical parameters of blood, heart and liver, and ascites susceptibility of broilers at different ages reared under a low-temperature environment. A total of 420 1-d-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments with fifteen replicates of fourteen broilers each. Treatment diets consisted of L-carnitine supplementation at levels of 0 and 100 mg/kg. At 11-d of age, low temperature stress was used to increase ascites susceptibility. Blood, heart and liver samples were collected at different ages for analysis of boichemical parameters. The results showed that, there was no significant difference in growth performance with L-carnitine supplementation, but the mortality due to ascites was significantly decreased. Dietary L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced heart index (HI) and ascites heart index (AHI) on d 21, lung index (LUI) on d 35 and liver index (LI) on d 42. The broilers fed diets containing L-carnitine had significantly lower red blood cell counts (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) concentration and hematocrit (HCT) on d 42. Dietary L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content of heart tissue on d 21 and 35, and significantly increased total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of the heart on d 21 and 42. L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced serum triglyceride (TG) content on d 28 and 35 and serum glucose (GLU) on d 35 and 42, and significantly increased serum total protein (TP) and globulin (GLO) content on d 42. L-carnitine supplementation significantly enhanced liver succinodehydrogenase (SDH), malic dehydrogenase (MDH) and $Na^+$-$K^+$-ATPase activity on d 28, and tended to reduce the lactic acid (LD) level of liver on d 35 (p = 0.06). L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced serum uric acid (UA) content on d 28, 35 and 42. Based on the current results, it can be concluded that dietary L-carnitine supplementation reduced organ index, red blood cell counts and hematocrit, enhanced antioxidative capacity of the heart, enhanced liver enzymes activity involved in tricarboxylic acid cycle, and reduced serum glucose and triglyceride. Therefore, it is suggested that L-carnitine can potentially reduce susceptibility and mortality due to ascites.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.36 no.7
• /
• pp.720-728
• /
• 2003

This study was conducted to evaluate changes in plasma concentration and urinary excretion of carnitine, as well as plasma lipid level and fatty acid composition, caused by short term supplementation of carnitine in humans. Ten healthy male subjects (21.2 $\pm$ 0.5 years old) received oral carnitine supplementation (4 g/day) as tablets for two weeks. Fasting blood and random urine samples were collected from each subject both prior to and at the end of carnitine supplemention program. Following the 2 weeks of carnitine supplementation, plasma total carnitine (TCNE) concentration increased 20% (85.1 $\pm$ 7.4 vs 67.3 $\pm$ 9.1 $\mu$ mol/1, p> 0.05), while urinary excretion of total carnitine increased ten times compared to the value measured prior to the supplementation (3051 $\pm$ 692 vs 278 $\pm$ 90.1 $\mu$ mol/g creatinine, p < 0.01). Non-esterified carnitine (NEC) comprised from 71 to 88% of TCNE in plasma, and from 32 to 40% of TCNE excreted in the urine. Two weeks of carnitine supplementation in healthy adults significantly elevated plasma level of acid soluble acylcarnitine (ASAC) which is esterified mostly with short chain fatty acids (21.6 $\pm$ 1.6 $\mu$ mol/l) compared to the value measured prior to the supplementation (6.4 $\pm$ 0.8 $\mu$ mol/l) (p < 0.05). Carnitine supplementation significantly increased plasma HDL-cholesterol level (p < 0.05), and decreased the atherogenic index (p < 0.05), but failed to cause any significant change in plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and free fatty acids. Plasma triglyceride and phospholipid fatty acid compositions were not significaly affected as well by the oral supplementation of carnitine in subjects with normal range of blood lipid levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.19 no.10
• /
• pp.1478-1483
• /
• 2006

This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of supplementation of L-carnitine and humic substances alone or in combination in laying hen diets on performance, egg traits and blood parameters. A total of 180 IGH type brown laying hens aged 22 weeks were employed in a completely randomized block design with one control group and three treatment groups. Each group was divided into five replicates as subgroups, each comprising 9 hens. The diets of the first, second and third treatment groups were supplemented with 0.1 g/kg L-carnitine, 1.5 g/kg humic substances (Farmagulator$^{(R)}$ Dry Plus) and 0.1 g/kg L-carnitine+1.5 g/kg humic substances, respectively. The experimental period lasted 18 weeks. Feeding supplemental carnitine, humic substances or carnitine+humic substances resulted in increases in body weight gain (p<0.05). Dietary treatments did not significantly affect daily feed intake, daily metabolizable energy intake, egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, mortality, egg shape index, egg breaking strength, egg shell thickness, egg albumen index, egg yolk index, egg Haugh unit and the percentages of egg shell, albumen and yolk. Supplementation of humic substances reduced egg yolk cholesterol as mg per g yolk and mg per yolk (p<0.05). Blood serum parameters were not affected by the supplementation of carnitine, humic substances or carnitine+humic substances. The results in this study demonstrated that humic substances supplementation reduced egg cholesterol without adverse effects on performance, egg traits and blood parameters of laying hens. It was concluded that the usage of L-carnitine alone or in combination with humic substances in diets had no beneficial effects in laying hens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.1568-1575
• /
• 2000

Growing pigs (N=25; 18 kg) were used to study effects of L-carnitine and protein intake on plasma carnitine, energy and carnitine balance, and carnitine biosynthesis. Corn-soybean meal basal diets containing low or high protein (13.6% or 18%) were formulated so that protein accretion would be limited by metabolizable energy (ME). Each basal diet was supplemented with 0 or 500 mg/kg L-carnitine and limit fed to pigs for 10 d in a balance trial. Final carnitine concentration was compared with weight/age matched pigs measured on d 0 to calculate carnitine retention rates. Supplementation of carnitine increased (p<0.01) plasma free carnitine (by 250%), short-chain (by 160%) and long-chain acyl-carnitine concentrations (by 80%) irrespective of blood sampling time (p<0.01). The proportion of long-chain carnitine esters decreased by 40% (p<0.01) by carnitine supplementation; whereas, the proportion of short-chain acyl-carnitine concentration was not changed (p>0.10). All criteria of energy balance were unaffected by L-carnitine (p>0.10). Total body carnitine retention was increased by 450% over unsupplemented controls (p<0.01). Carnitine biosynthesis rates in pigs fed diets without L-carnitine were estimated at 6.71 and $10.63{\mu}mol{\cdot}kg^{-1}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ in low protein and high protein groups, respectively. In supplemented pigs, L-carnitine absorption and degradation in the intestinal tract was estimated at 30-40% and 60-70% of L-carnitine intake, respectively. High protein feeding effect did not affected plasma carnitine concentrations, carnitine biosynthesis or carnitine retention (p>0.10). We conclude that endogenous carnitine biosynthesis may be adequate to maintain sufficient tissue levels during growth, but that supplemental dietary carnitine (at 500 ppm) sufficiently increased plasma acyl-carnitine and total body carnitine.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.119-123
• /
• 2003

To investigate the effects of the supplementation of carnitine and/or ${\gamma}$ -aminobutric acid (GABA), Sprague-Dawley male rats were orally treated with either an AIN-76 diet (control), a control diet plus ethanol (CE, 4 g ethanol/kg bw), CE plus L-carnitine (CEC, 0.5 g/kg bw), CE plus GABA (CEG, 0.5 g/kg bw), or CE plus L-carnitine plus GABA (CECG, 0.25 g/kg bw each) for 6 weeks. Serum triglyceride levels were increased in the CE group and were decreased significantly in the CEC, CEG and CECG groups. HDL-cholesterol was increased and LDL-cholesterol was decreased in the CEG and CECG groups compared with the CE group. Serum GOT and GPT levels increased by the chronic ethanol administration were decreased in the CEC group. In addition, we have evaluated the mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I in those groups. Supplementation of carnitine/GABA had some recovery effects on the liver CPT-I mRNA levels which decreased by chronic ethanol administration. These results may suggest that supplementations of either L-carnitine or GABA aye effective on the recovery of chronic ethanol-related symptoms, but no combined effects were shown.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.228-233
• /
• 2007

This study evaluated the effects of carnitine supplementation on obesity caused by a high-fat diet in C57BL/6J mice. The mice were fed a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HD), or carnitine-supplemented (0.5% of diet) high-fat diet (HDC) for 12 weeks. The results showed that body weight, energy intake, and feed intake were lower in the HDC group than the control groups. Acid-soluble acylcarnitine (A SAC), acid-insoluble acylcarnitine (AIAC), and total carnitine (TCNE) in the serum and liver were significantly higher in the HDC group. Hepatic carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I activity was significantly higher in the HDC group than the control groups. Acyl-coA synthetase (ACS) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-I (CPT-I) mRNA expression in the liver was highest in the HDC group, however hepatic acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA expression in this group was lowest. Serum leptin levels and abdominal fat weight were lowest in the HDC group. We concluded that L-carnitine supplementation diminished the risk of obesity caused by a high-fat diet.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.40 no.7
• /
• pp.630-638
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to examine the combined effects of L-carnitine and isoflavone supplementation on weight reduction and body fat distribution in overweight women. Overweight/obese women (body mass index > $23kg/m^2$) who were not diagnosed any type of diseases were included in this study and sixty subjects ($41.1{\pm}1.5$ years, $25.9{\pm}0.3kg/m^2)$ were randomly assigned to a placebo (n=30) or a supplement group (n=30, L-carnitine 300 mg+isoflavone 40 mg/day). We measured anthropometric parameters, abdominal fat distribution by computerizd tomography and blood components before and after the 12 week intervention period. After the 12 weeks of supplementation, subjects in L-carnitine and isoflavone supplement group showed a significant reduction of body weight (p < 0.001), body fat % (p < 0.05), and waist to hip ratio (p < 0.01) whereas placebo group did not show any changes. In a CT-scanned results, total fat area at L4 level was significantly reduced by 8.1% (p < 0.01) with the reduction of visceral fat area (-11.1%, p < 0.001) and subcutaneous fat area (-7.0%, p < 0.05) in the supplement group. The supplementation of L-carnitine and isoflavone showed the significant improvement of HDL-C (p < 0.01) and apoB (p < 0.05) concentrations, however, change values in those markers were not significant compared with those of the placebo group. In addition, a significant increase of adiponectin level (p<0.001) was observed in the supplement group after the intervention. The result of present study demonstrated that supplementation of 300 mg L-carnitine and 40 mg isoflavone per day fur 12 weeks can give beneficial effects on weight reduction and visceral fat accumulation. These potential antiobesity supplement can produce more favorable effects when combined with lifestyle modification.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.187-194
• /
• 2002

This study was investigated the effects of exercise and supplementation of L-carnitine and antioxidants on hepatic mitochondrial function, especially oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Isolated hepatic mitochondria from 4 rat groups were functionally tested by an analysis of respiration and the coupling of this process to ATP synthesis in the presence of ADP. Four groups were non-trained, non-supplemented group (NTNS), non-trained, supplemented group (NTS), long term-trained, non-supplemented group (LTNS) , and long term-trained, supplemented group (LTS). The trained rats run on a treadmill (grade 10°,20 m/min) for 60min/day for 8 weeks. The supplemented rats were treated with L-carnitine (0.5% diet), vitamin E(0.5mg/g BW), vitamin C (0.5mg/g BW) and melatonin (1 $\mu$ g/g BW) for 8 weeks. There were exercise effects on improving mitochondrial OXPHOS. Within non-supplemented groups, exercised rats resulted in a significant decrease in state 4 oxygen consumption, which increased the respiratory control (RC) ratio and ADP : O (P/O) ratio. There were supplementation effects on improving mitochondrial OXPHOS, too. Within non-exercised rats, supplemented rats resulted in a significant decrease in state 4 oxygon consumption. which increased the RC ratio and P/O ratio. There were additive effects of exercise and supplementation on OXPHOS. Within supplemented rats, exercise resulted in an increase in RC ratio. Significant effects of exercise-supplement interaction on improving OXPHOS were identified. It suggests that exercise and supplementation of L-carnitine and antioxidants might improve more efficiently the impaired OXPHOS efficiency in mitochondrial dysfunction that recognized as is an important cause of degenerative diseases. (J Community Nutrition 4(3) : 187∼194, 2002)

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.113-120
• /
• 2004

This study is to investigate the effect of dietary L-carnitine supplementation on lipid metabolism in rats fed with isolated soy protein and casein for their source of protein. Four experimental groups were organized and each group had eight Sprague-Dawley male rats with the initial weight of around 180g. The four groups were CO (casein only supplemented group); CC (casein and 3% L-carnitine supplemented group); ISO (isolated soy protein only supplemented group); ISC (isolated soy protein and 3% L-carnitine supplemented group). All groups were supplemented with the experimental diet for four weeks and carnitine comprised 3% of. their diet. The results were as follows; 1. There was no significant difference in food intake among the groups. 2. Final weight gain was significantly lower in the groups supplemented with isolated soy protein than in the groups supplemented with casein (P<0.05). The groups with supplemented casein and carnitine showed the effect of weight reduction (p<0.05). 3. Food efficiency ratio was lower in the groups supplemented with isolated soy protein than in the groups supplemented with casein (p<0.01). The groups supplemented with casein and carnitine showed low food efficiency ratio. 4. The serum total lipid was higher in the groups supplemented with casein than in the groups supplemented with isolated soy protein (p<0.05). 5. Serum total cholesterol was higher in the groups supplemented with casein than in the groups supplemented with isolated soy protein. 6. There was no significant difference in triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol in serum among the groups. 7. Out of the groups supplemented with isolated soy protein the total cholesterol level in liver was low in the groups to which carnitine was supplemented (p< 0.05). However, there was no significant difference of liver total lipid and triglyceride among the groups. 8. There was no difference in TBARS levels and GSH-Px activities in liver among the groups.