Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine the phenolic compounds and the anti-atherogenic effect of bee bread in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. The presence of phenolic compounds in bee bread was determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups, (n = 8/group); i.e., Normal (N), HFD (high-fat diet), HFD + BB (high-fat diet and 0.5 g/kg/day bee bread), and HFD + O (high-fat diet and 10 mg/kg/day orlistat) groups. After 6 weeks of the experiment, rats were sacrificed. Five phenolic compounds were identified in bee bread; namely, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, apigenin, and isorhamnetin. Bee bread significantly reduced Lee obesity index and levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity, atherogenic index, oxidised-LDL (oxLDL), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and significantly increased aortic antioxidant activities, such as those of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Adipocyte sizes were found to be smaller in the HFD + BB group compared to the N group, and en face aortas showed an absence of atherosclerotic plaque in rats supplemented with bee bread. These changes might suggest an anti-atherogenic effect of bee bread in HFD-induced obese rats via its antioxidant and hypocholesterolaemic properties.
Highlights
Obesity is a major contributor to total burden of disease in developing countries
After 6 weeks of continuous administration of high-fat diet (HFD), Lee obesity index was significantly higher in the HFD group compared to N group, suggesting that the HFD used in the present study successfully induced an animal model of obesity
To further assess the possible underlying mechanism of anti-atherogenic effect of bee bread, we evaluated the level of aortic fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity
Summary
Obesity is a major contributor to total burden of disease in developing countries. Obesity has been an important target for health professionals to reduce obesity-related cardiovascular disease (CVD), notably dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease [1]. Prolonged administration of a high-fat diet (HFD) to rats has been shown to develop a status of impaired-lipid metabolism, as evidenced by higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in rats fed with a HFD [2]. Apart from impairment of lipid metabolism, attention has recently focused on the role of low grade chronic inflammation as one of the mechanisms of obesity related disorders. It has been speculated that an excess of adipose tissue accumulation is a precursor of pro-inflammatory cytokines’ production contributing to adverse obesity-related complications, such as insulin resistance and increased blood pressure [3].
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