Abstract
IntroductionObesity is a nutritional disorder associated with many health problems such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-metabolic disorder effects of kumquat (Fortunella margarita Swingle) fruit extract (FME) on high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6 obese mice.MethodsThe kumquat fruit was extracted with ethanol and the main flavonoids of this extract were analyzed by HPLC. For the preventive experiment, female C57BL/6 mice were fed with a normal diet (Chow), high-fat diet (HF), and high-fat diet with 1% (w/w) extract of kumquat (HF+FME) for 8 weeks. For the therapeutic experiment, female C57BL/6 mice were fed with high-fat diet for 3 months to induce obesity. Then the obese mice were divided into two groups randomly, and fed with HF or HF+FME for another 2 weeks. Body weight and daily food intake amounts were recorded. Fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, serum and liver lipid levels were assayed and the white adipose tissues were imaged. The gene expression in mice liver and brown adipose tissues were analyzed with a quantitative PCR assay.ResultsIn the preventive treatment, FME controlled the body weight gain and the size of white adipocytes, lowered the fasting blood glucose, serum total cholesterol (TC), serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels as well as liver lipid contents in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice. In the therapeutic treatment, FME decreased the serum triglyceride (TG), serum TC, serum LDL-c, fasting blood glucose levels and liver lipid contents, improved glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance. Compared with the HF group, FME significantly increased the mRNA expression of PPARα and its target genes.ConclusionOur study suggests that FME may be a potential dietary supplement for preventing and ameliorating the obesity and obesity-related metabolic disturbances.
Highlights
Obesity is a nutritional disorder associated with many health problems such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
The body weight gain induced by high-fat diet was obviously blocked by the supplement of FME (HF+FME group)
The average caloric intakes in Chow, HF and HF diet supplemented with 1% FME (HF+FME) groups were 9.21 Kcal, 12.08 Kcal, 11.22 Kcal respectively per day per mouse. This result indicated that there is no significant difference of energy intake in HF and HF+FME group and showed that the body weight decrease in FME treated mice was not result from the lower caloric intake
Summary
Obesity is a nutritional disorder associated with many health problems such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the anti-metabolic disorder effects of kumquat (Fortunella margarita Swingle) fruit extract (FME) on high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6 obese mice. The existing studies have suggested that citrus peels played important roles in regulating glucose and lipid metabolic disorders. Kang et al reported that Citrus sunki peel extract reduced the body weight, adipose tissue weight gain and inhibited the accumulation of fatty droplets in high-fat diet-induced obese mice [14]. Ding et al have reported that Citrus ichangensis peel extract could ameliorate metabolic disorders [13]. Citrange fruit extracts were able to alleviate obesity-associated metabolic disorders as the latest research reported [15]. It was found that FM fruits have high radical scavenging capacities and strong antioxidant activity, and consumption of FM fruits may be of health-promotion [16]
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