[Black currant seeds after supercritical carbon dioxide extraction as a potential dietary supplement]

The aim of this study was to estimate the physiological effects of black currant seeds after supercritical carbon dioxide extraction on the gastrointestinal tract and metabolism of rats used as an experimental model. The preparation contained 25% of total protein, 57.9% of dietary fiber and 4% of fat. Young Wistar rats divided into two experimental groups of 10 animals each, were fed for 28 days using semi-purified casein diets with a high fructose content (69%). The diets contained the same amount of protein and fiber. An inclusion of the tested seeds to the diet (10% as expense of cellulose, corn starch and part of casein) lowered the activity of glycolytic enzymes in the mucosa of the small intestine, whereas intestinal microflora elevated its glycolytic activity, and in consequence, increased production of short-chain fatty acids in the caecum. A distinct hypoglycemic actions of the tested preparation were also observed, while its antioxidant properties were found to be rather low and expressed by the decreased content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the kidney tissue.