Honors College Thesis
 

Hepatic Gene Expression Patterns in C57BL/6J Mice Fed High-Fat Diets Supplemented with Watermelon Flesh, Arginine, Citrulline, Lycopene, or S-methylmethionine

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/jd4734488

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  • About one third of Americans have metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by five risk factors related to blood pressure and triglyceride levels and could lead to diabetes and heart disease if left untreated. Watermelon has been shown to exhibit cardioprotective effects due to its high phytochemical content and may act as a functional food upon consumption. In order to determine the specific components within watermelon flesh that are responsible for its associated health benefits, male C57BL/6J mice were fed high-fat diets supplemented with watermelon flesh, arginine, citrulline, lycopene, or s-methylmethionine for 10 weeks. After the feeding period, blood samples were collected and hepatic gene expression changes were computationally analyzed. Notably, several genes in the Cytochrome P450 family were significantly upregulated in mice fed high-fat diets supplemented with citrulline and arginine. Further, 43 genes were uniquely regulated by citrulline and s-methylmethionine and influenced biological pathways related to Forkhead transcription factors and liver X receptors, all of which are associated with lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cholesterol regulation. Therefore, this evidence suggests arginine, citrulline, and s-methylmethionine resemble the effects seen in watermelon flesh and may be accredited for its cardiovascular advantages.
  • Key Words: watermelon, arginine, citrulline, lycopene, s-methylmethionine, metabolic syndrome, heart disease
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