Effect on lipid metabolism of mice continuously fed a crab-containing diet

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is a traditional food in eastern Asian. The effects of diets containing edible-parts of female Chinese mitten crabs were studied in vivo using male mice. A short-term experiment of 20 days and a long-term experiment of 66 days were run. Some lipid metabolic compounds in liver were analyzed including fatty acid synthetase (FASN), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Serum lipid indexes included total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Mice eating the crab diet (Group T1) gained ∼4.0% and ∼10.5% body weight in short-term and long-term experiment, respectively (∼8.8 g at day 20 and ∼18.5 g at day 66). Mice took crab diet without significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease according to lipid comprehensive index (LCI) and atherosclerosis index (AI) (P ≥ 0.05). There were no significant effects on blood lipids and enzyme concentrations in liver when the crab-containing diets were eaten either continuously or intermittently. A slight decrease of LPL, TC, and LCI was seemed with consumption of the crab diet every 16 days in long-term experiment. In conclusion, mice continuously fed the crab diet did have a slightly adverse effect on lipid metabolism, while the crab diets eaten intermittently may have a small beneficial effect on male mice blood lipids, body weight, and the potential of LCI and AI, which means taken crab intermittently may help to lose weight and preventive against cardiovascular disease.