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ORCID

N/A

Access Type

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

thesis

Degree Program

Food Science

Degree Type

Master of Science (M.S.)

Year Degree Awarded

2017

Month Degree Awarded

May

Abstract

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), also known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate, is a polyphenol that is most abundant in tea. It has been shown from many studies that consumption of EGCG can contribute to weight loss, however, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. To determine how EGCG acts to reduce fat, an organism model Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is introduced, which is a useful animal system in exploring crucial biological mechanisms that are readily applicable to humans. In this study, different strains were raised for two days on a diet with or without 100µM and 200µM EGCG treatment: N2 (i.e., wild type) and mutants (i.e., knockdown of fat metabolism related genes). EGCG’s effect on fat reduction was characterized by triglyceride content, food consumption and physiological behaviors. Our results showed that 100 and 200 µM EGCG significantly reduced the triglyceride content of wild type worms by 10% and 20%, respectively, without affecting its food intake and physiological behaviors. Additionally, EGCG could effectively reduce fat accumulation in C. elegans dependent on acs-2 and atgl-1.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/10006876

First Advisor

Yeonhwa Park

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