Oral administration of Rehmannia glutinosa extract for obesity treatment via adiposity and fatty acid binding protein expression in obese rats

Abstract

We investigated the anti-obesity effect of Rehmannia glutinosa aqueous extract (RGE) in high fat diet (HFD) induced obese rats on the blood lipid concentration and expression of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (FABP). In additional experiments, C57BL6 mice were used to determine lipolysis and the oral lipid emulsion tolerance test. RGE administration significantly reduced the size of subcutaneous adipocytes and. Most importantly, RGE administration markedly attenuated the up-regulation of FABP mRNA and protein expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue induced by an HFD. Oral RGE administration prevented weight gain and hyperlipidemia induced by long-term HFD feeding, presumably via a mechanism that inhibits the intestinal absorption of dietary fat by RGE. Taken together, RGE can act as an anti-obesity agent by lowering FABP gene and protein expression in adipose tissue as well as blood lipid levels.