Background: Possible health benefits of fish balls tsumire consumption on human health have been deduced based on the results of our earlier study investigating tsumire consumption by young (6-weeks-old) Sprague-Dawley rats. Aim: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of tsumire intake on aged rats by feeding them a diet containing 5% dried tsumire. Methods: Biomarker levels and organ weight of 80-weeks-old Sprague-Dawley rats that were fed with tsumire were examined for potential health benefits. Results: Following 84 days of administering tsumire-containing diet, we found a decrease in some liver function parameters, such as the levels of AST, ALT, ALP and LAP, in the tsumire-fed rats compared to control rats provided with normal diet. In particular, significantly reduced LDH levels were observed in the experimental group. Conclusions: The results can be extrapolated to possible beneficial effects of consumption of tsumire on human health.
Keywords: Fish paste products; aged rats; fish balls; liver function; tsumire.