A hot water extract of Chlorella pyrenoidosa reduces body weight and serum lipids in ovariectomized rats.

The effects of a hot water extract of Chlorella pyrenoidosa, which contains chlorella growth factor (CGF), on the body weight, serum lipids, and the bone mass were evaluated using an ovariectomized rat as a model for postmenopausal bone loss. Rats were divided into four groups: sham-operated (Sham), Sham given the CGF solution, ovariectomized (OVX), and OVX given the CGF solution, respectively. Administration of the extract to OVX rats suppressed the body weight gain. After 7 weeks, the administration of the extract to the OVX group reduced increases in both serum total cholesterols and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterols. It also normalized the decrease of triglyceride level in the OVX group. The ovariectomy decreased the tibial bone mineral density (BMD) by 19%, and the administration of the extract to OVX rats did not inhibit this decrease. These results suggest that a dietary supplement of CGF may be useful to control the body weight and improve lipid metabolism of menopausal women. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.