High Molecular Weight Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid Regulates Lipid Metabolism in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet and Humans

We investigated the effect of high molecular weight poly-gamma- glutamic acid (hm γ-PGA) on adiposity and lipid metabolism of rats in the presence of an obesity-inducing diet. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a normal-fat (11.4% kcal fat, NFC) or high-fat (51% kcal fat, HFC) diet. After 5 weeks, half of each diet-fed group was treated with hm γ-PGA (NFP or HFP) for 4 weeks. The HFC group had significantly higher body weight, visceral fat mass, fasting serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and leptin, and lower serum HDL cholesterol level compared with those of the NFC group (p < 0.05). Treatment with hm γ-PGA decreased body weight gain and perirenal fat mass (p