Effects of fermented pepper powder on body fat accumulation in mice fed a high-fat diet.

We investigated the effects of non-pungent pepper powder fermented by Bacillus licheniformis SK1230 on the fat accumulation in mice. Four weeks of feeding a high-fat diet with fermented pepper powder resulted in a significantly decreased hepatic total-lipid level and increased serum HDL-cholesterol, and tended to lower the fat weight. These results suggest that fermented pepper powder inhibited fat accumulation and improved lipid metabolism in mice fed the high-fat diet.