Ferulic acid lowers body weight and visceral fat accumulation via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory changes in a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced obesity.

T.S De Melo,S.G Da Cruz Fonseca,T.L.G De Lemos,F.R.N Solon,V.S Rao,T.M Fontenele,P.R Lima,M.G.R De Queiroz,K.M.M.B Carvalho,A.R Tomé,F.A Santos

doi:10.1590/1414-431x20165630

Abstract

Previous studies have reported on the glucose and lipid-lowering effects of ferulic acid (FA) but its anti-obesity potential has not yet been firmly established. This study investigated the possible anti-obesitogenic effects of FA in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. To assess the antiobesity potential of FA, 32 male Swiss mice, weighing 20–25 g (n=6–8 per group) were fed a normal diet (ND) or HFD, treated orally or not with either FA (10 mg/kg) or sibutramine (10 mg/kg) for 15 weeks and at the end of this period, the body weights of animals, visceral fat accumulation, plasma levels of glucose and insulin hormone, amylase and lipase activities, the satiety hormones ghrelin and leptin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCH-1) were analyzed. Results revealed that FA could effectively suppress the HFD-associated increase in visceral fat accumulation, adipocyte size and body weight gain, similar to sibutramine, the positive control. FA also significantly (P<0.05) decreased the HFD-induced elevations in serum lipid profiles, amylase and lipase activities, and the levels of blood glucose and insulin hormone. The markedly elevated leptin and decreased ghrelin levels seen in HFD-fed control mice were significantly (P<0.05) reversed by FA treatment, almost reaching the values seen in ND-fed mice. Furthermore, FA demonstrated significant (P<0.05) inhibition of serum levels of inflammatory mediators TNF-α, and MCH-1. These results suggest that FA could be beneficial in lowering the risk of HFD-induced obesity via modulation of enzymatic, hormonal and inflammatory responses.

Highlights

The increasing trend in the prevalence of obesity has become a global concern, causing severe burden on health care systems [1]
While treatment with ferulic acid (FA) and SIB slightly but significantly (Po0.05) reduced water consumption compared to normal diet (ND) and high-fat diet (HFD) controls, both treatments effectively decreased the net energy intake almost to the level seen in ND fed mice when compared to values observed in HFD controls (Table 1)
It has been observed that the long-term intake of a HFD can induce hyperleptinemia and hypoghrelinemia and a significant positive correlation between plasma leptin levels and epididymal fat mass [23]

Summary

Introduction

The increasing trend in the prevalence of obesity has become a global concern, causing severe burden on health care systems [1]. There is a need for the discovery and development of novel, safe, and effective drugs for the control and treatment of obesity. Due to the increasing consumer knowledge of the link between diet and health, there is an increased awareness and demand for functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals. This leads to a mindset directed to self-medication to avoid the undesirable side effects associated with consumption of synthesized drugs and to avoid the increasing cost of drug therapy. Several studies have focused on prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated health risks using plant-derived phenolic compounds. Ferulic acid (FA) (Figure 1) belongs to the family of phenolic acids and is very abundant in fruits, vegetables and grains, such

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Conclusion