Taurine has anti-obesity effects in various animal models. 21 All volunteers ate a high-cholesterol diet for three weeks those in the control group had significant increases in TC and LDL-C levels, whereas those that received taurine showed a smaller and not significant increase in cholesterol levels compared to the control placebo group, as shown in Table 1. In a single-blind study on 22 healthy Japanese volunteers, the effects of 6 g taurine supplementation on lipid profiles were analyzed in comparison to a placebo group. Several randomized trials have been conducted to analyze the effect of taurine supplementation on the lipid profiles of humans. 20 Taurine diet (5%) supplemented with either corn oil or coconut oil administered for 28 days to ovariectomized rats decreased plasma TC level due to an increase in mRNA expression of the LDL-C receptor and cholesterol CYP7A1 activity in the liver. 19 Furthermore, taurine can alter the expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism. Taurine supplementation (2.5% in drinking water) for 70 days significantly reduced the weight of retroperitoneal and epidydimal fat pads in male Wistar rats who received subcutaneous injections of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Taurine might attenuate dyslipidemia in animal models by preventing obesity. 18 Amelioration of dyslipidemia was due to increased insulin sensitivity and leptin modulation in OLETF rats with long-term diabetes. 17 When Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats with and without diabetes mellitus were fed a diet containing 2% and 5% taurine for 12 weeks and 9 weeks, respectively, taurine supplementation significantly decreased TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels in both groups. In addition, taurine supplementation (1% in drinking water) for 60 days significantly reduced serum TC, non–HDL-C, and TG levels but increased HDL-C level in hyperlipidemia atherosclerosis-prone quails fed a high-cholesterol diet. 16 Taurine decreased elevated blood lipid levels and hepatic damage caused by a high-fat diet in hamsters through upregulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, LDL receptors, and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expression together with down regulation of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. 15 Taurine administration in golden Syrian hamsters fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (1% or 2%) for 2 weeks significantly reduced plasma TC and TG levels. 15, 16 Taurine consumption (1% in diet) for 8 weeks significantly reduced serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels as well as the LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio in male Sprague-Dawley rats, as illustrated in Fig. The effects of taurine on blood lipid profiles have been investigated in animal studies. 10 In this article, we review the sources and synthesis of taurine and examine evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies regarding the ability of taurine to protect against dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, as shown in Fig. 9 Moreover, taurine has been used to treat cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer disease, cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy, muscular degradation, and hepatic disorders. 7, 8 Taurine-transporter-deficient mice are characterized by impairment of various physiological functions, suggesting a crucial role for taurine in cellular homeostasis, as shown in Fig. 5, 6 Taurine is involved in a number of metabolic processes, including osmoregulation, membrane stabilization, modulation of cellular calcium level, and detoxification. 4 Several in vivo studies utilizing different experimental models have demonstrated the significance of taurine during development its scarcity during various developmental phases has been linked to various pathological issues such as retardation, cardiomyopathy, and retinal degeneration.

2, 3 Taurine is considered a non-essential amino acid in rodents, an essential amino acid in cats, and a conditionally essential amino acid in humans.

1 Its significance in human nutrition was realized when taurine level was found to be below the normal range in the plasma and urine of preterm formula-fed infants. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), first discovered as a component of ox bile, has recently been recognized as a potential pharmaconutrient due to its various clinically significant effects in non-human animal and human models.

Taurine effects