Abstract
Obesity is a constantly increasing health problem worldwide. It is associated with a systemic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to the development of metabolic disorders and comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes. Diet has an important role in the prevention of obesity and its adverse health effects; as a part of healthy diet, polyphenol-rich berries, such as lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) have been proposed to have health-promoting effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of lingonberry supplementation on high-fat diet induced metabolic and inflammatory changes in a mouse model of obesity. Thirty male C57BL/6N mice were divided into three groups (n = 10/group) to receive low-fat (LF), high-fat (HF) and lingonberry-supplemented high-fat (HF+LGB) diet for six weeks. Low-fat and high-fat diet contained 10% and 46% of energy from fat, respectively. Lingonberry supplementation prevented the high-fat diet induced adverse changes in blood cholesterol and glucose levels and had a moderate effect on the weight and visceral fat gain, which were 26% and 25% lower, respectively, in the lingonberry group than in the high-fat diet control group. Interestingly, lingonberry supplementation also restrained the high-fat diet induced increases in the circulating levels of the proinflammatory adipocytokine leptin (by 36%) and the inflammatory acute phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA; by 85%). Similar beneficial effects were discovered in the hepatic expression of the inflammatory factors CXCL-14, S100A10 and SAA by lingonberry supplementation. In conclusion, the present results indicate that lingonberry supplementation significantly prevents high-fat diet induced metabolic and inflammatory changes in a murine model of obesity. The results encourage evaluation of lingonberries as a part of healthy diet against obesity and its comorbidities.
Highlights
The prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly worldwide during the last decades
We aimed to investigate the effects of lingonberry supplementation on metabolic and inflammatory changes in high-fat diet induced experimental obesity in mice to extend the current understanding on the health benefits of lingonberries
We found that lingonberry supplementation prevented high-fat diet induced adverse effects on blood cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels as well as visceral fat gain in a murine model of obesity
Summary
The prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly worldwide during the last decades. Adipose tissue is an active tissue regulating various physiological and pathological processes, including immunity and inflammation. It is no longer considered only as a passive energy storage. Immune cells secreting pro-inflammatory substances increase in number while those producing anti-inflammatory substances have been shown to decrease. This imbalance is responsible for the obesity induced low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance in the body [3]
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