Studies on the biological activity of opines.

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It has been isolated five imino acids, such as octopine, tauropine, alanopine, strombine, and beta-alanopine, from marine invertebrates mainly marine molluscs. They have unique similar structure and are all referred to as "opines". Opines, which are biosynthesized by opine dehydrogenases, are now considered to be the end-products of anaerobic glycolysis of invertebrates. Opine dehydrogenases are found in almost all mollusks and many other invertebrates. Opines would be therefore ingested into the human body via foods, but the biological activities of opines are not yet known.The effects of dietary opines, octopine, tauropine and alanopine, on the level of serum and liver cholesterol of rats fed with cholesterol-enriched or cholesterol-free diets were investigated. Dietary supplementation with 1.5% octopine in a cholesterol-enriched diet significantly decreased the serum total-and VLDL+LDL-cholesterol levels and by contrary increased the serum HDL-cholesterol level in rats. The same tendency was observed in the rats fed with 1.5% octopine in a cholecterol-free diet. Contrary, dietary supplementation with 0.5% tauropine in a cholesterol-enriched diet significantly increased the serum total- and VLDL+LDL-cholesterol levels and decreased the serum HDL-cholesterol level in rats. Dietary supplementation with 1% alanopine in a cholesterol-enriched diet did not affect on the serum total cholesterol level. The cecum weight in the rats of opine groups ended also to be heavier than in that of the control rats. Most of rats fed tauropine and alanopine showed diarrhea.