Effect of Japanese millet and Korean foxtail millet proteins on lipid metabolism and type 2 diabetes in rats and mice

摘要

Millet is an important food cereal for humans in Africa and Asia. In Japan, consumption of millet has recently increased because some people think that this cereal may have health benefits. Millet is consumed more commonly in Korea than in Japan. As no study of the physiological functionality of millets has been reported previously, we have examined the effects of Korean foxtail millet (KFMP) and Japanese millet (JMP) proteins on lipid metabolism and type 2 diabetes. When type 2 diabetic rats were fed JMP for 20 days, plasma glucose levels decreased, whereas HDL-cholesterol (C) and adiponectin (AD) levels significantly increased, as compared with the control group (CG). Similarly, when type 2 diabetic mice were fed a KFMP diet for 60 days, plasma insulin levels were significantly lower, whereas AD and HDL-C levels were markedly higher than in the CG. Considering the importance of AD and HDL-C in human disease, our results imply that these cereals may have multiple beneficial effects.