• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1811-1821
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• 2018

Obesity is generally caused by quantitative changes in adipocyte differentiation and fat metabolism. Only a few studies have been determined the effect of red beans extract on obesity and plasma cholesterol concentration. We have been studied the functional activities of red-bean extracts including anti-oxidative effect against DNA and cell damages. Histological study including micro CT analysis showed that the accumulation of fat in hepatocytes and intestines was significantly decreased in red bean extract treated group. In addition, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were decreased in blood samples. In addition, it was confirmed that the red bean extract inhibited the expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$, Fabp4 and RETN genes, which regulate total adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism. Red bean extract inhibits the expressions of transcription factors associated with adipocyte differentiation in a dose-dependent manner, thereby inhibiting fat accumulation and decreasing blood lipid levels in obese mice induced by high fat diet.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.996-1008
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• 2022

Lactic acid bacteria are representative probiotics that have beneficial effects on humans. Nineteen strains among the 167 single strains from kimchi was selected and their physiological features were investigated. The selection of a strain was based on strong enzyme (lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) inhibitory activities and anti-obesity effects in the adipocytes. For the final selection, the strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KC3 was tested for its potential as a starter. To assess its functionality, a freeze-dried culture of L. plantarum KC3 was administered to a diet-induced obese mouse model receiving a high-fat diet. The animal group administered with L. plantarum KC3 showed significant body weight loss during the 12-week feeding period compared to the high-fat control group. This study investigated the physiological characteristics of selected strain and evaluated its potential as an anti-obesity probiotic in mice.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2015

Objectives: The herb of Agastache rugosa (AR) is a traditional herbal medicine used for colds, vomiting and furuncles. However, there are few reports to investigate the inhibitory effects of AR on obesity. In this study, the effects of AR on high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its mechanism of actions were investigated in experimental animals. Methods: The mice were fed HFD for 4 weeks to induce obesity. After randomly divided into normal fat diet, HFD and AR groups, 200 mg/kg of AR was administrated for 4 weeks with continuous HFD feeding while vehicle was orally treated to HFD group. Food intake and body weight were recorded weekly. Results: Increased body weight by HFD was improved by AR treatment. AR administration inhibited an increase of visceral fat weight as well as adipocyte hypertrophy. Hepatic steatosis was ameliorated in AR-treated mice. In addition, treatment of AR attenuated the expression of adipogenic transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma in the epididymal adipose tissue. Also the increased serum leptin level by HFD was maintained in AR group, leading to inhibition of food intake. Conclusions: AR treatment showed inhibitory effects on HFD-induced obesity by inhibition of PPAR-gamma and reduction of food intake. AR could be an alternative treatment for obesity.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.615-619
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• 2013

Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the developed world and has become a global epidemic in recent years. In this study, Zanthoxylum planispinum extracts (ZPE) were evaluated on the effect on inhibition of pancreatic lipase and lipid metabolism by oral treatment for 2 months in high-fed diet obesity-induced Balb/c mice. The ZPE showed pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ of $0.3{\mu}g/ml$. No significant difference in feed intake was observed among the groups. The high-fat diet-treated Z. planispinum extracts groups (HFD+ZPE, 100mg/kg) significantly decreased body weight compared to the high-fat diet vehicle groups (HFD, p<0.05). The high-fat diet-treated Xenical$^{(R)}$ groups (HFD+Xenical, n=10, 30mg/kg) also showed a significant reduction of body weight compared to HFD (p<0.05). Biochemical parameters (triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in HFD plus ZPE diet groups were significantly lower than those of the HFD groups (p<0.05). These results indicated that ZPE more effectively suppressed the effects of HFD on body fat gain with the inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.787-793
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• 2000

The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of kochujang and red pepper on energy intake, body fat content and energy expenditure in rats fed on high-fat(30%) diet. Kochujang and red pepper power were added in the high-fat diet, adjusting the level to 95 and 22g/kg diet, respectively, The level of red pepper addition was corresponding was corresponding to the level of the content of red pepper powder in the kichujang-added diet. Kochujang induced a 30% reduction in body fat gain which was associated with a significant increase in energy expenditure. However, red pepper reduced body fat gain by only 15%. Furthermore, energy expenditure was not affected by red pepper. Metabolizable energy intake, apparent digestibility and body protein gain were not affected by either kochujang or red pepper. It has been known that capsaicin, a pungent component of red pepper, enhances activity of brown adipose tissue through increasing protein content. In the present study, in addition of protein content, DNA content of interscapular brown adipose tissue was also increased by kochujang. Therefore, it appeared that the anti-obesity effects of kochujang was greater than those of red pepper, indicating more than red pepper was involved in the expression of the anti-obesity effects of kochujang(Korean J Nutrition 33(8) : 787-793, 2000)

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.4 s.143
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• pp.324-331
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• 2005

The roots of Rosa rugosa have been used to treat diabetes mellitus in the folkloric society of Korea. To demonstrate the active component for the rat obesity induced by high fat diet for 6 weeks, the phytochemical fractionation and the pharmacological activity test were performed on this crude drug. It was shown that the methanolic extract and its EtOAc fraction inhibited the weight increase of the rat body, abdominal fat pad and hyperlipidemia at 200 mg/kg dose. Further, the triterpenoids, euscaphic acid and tormentic acid, isolated from R. rugosa roots were active at 30 mg/kg in the same assay. The two components shifted serum total-, HDL, and LDL-cholesterol levels toward the values of the unteated group, suggesting that the active compounds has hypolipidemic effects. The rats fad euscaphic acid and tormentic acid also reduced thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and hydroxyl radical in the rat blood and increased superoxide dismutase activity compared to the control. TBARS values and carbonyl contest of the hepatic protein were reduced by treatment with the two triterpenoids. Antioxidative enzyme (SOD, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) activities in hepatic were increased by treatment of rats with the triterpenoids, which suggests that triterpenoids inhibited the reduction of hepatic antioxidative activity caused by high fat diet. Taken together, these results support that euscaphic acid and tormentic acid improve a high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia via the activation of antioxidative mechanism.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2016

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the anti-diabetic effects of Spargaium stoloniferum Buchanan-Hamilton (Sparganii Rhizoma, SR) extract on diabetic rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced with Sprague-Dawley rats by high fat/high sucrose (HF/HS) diet for 4 weeks and injection of a single low dose of streptozotocin (STZ; 35 mg/kg). SR water extract at 500 mg/kg was orally administrated once a day for 4 weeks. Body weights, food and water intakes and urine volumes were measured. The levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were measured in the sera of rats. Histological changes were observed in pancreas, liver, and kidney tissues by H&E staining. Results: The administration of Sparganii Rhizoma extract at 500 mg/kg in diabetic rats did not shown a significant difference in body weight changes and GPT levels, but showed meaningful changes in an increase of urination volume, and decrease of serum glucose and insulin levels. Total cholesterol and GPT levels were also significantly decreased after SR extract administration in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the abnormal changes of pancreas, liver and kidney were also improved by Sparganii Rhizoma extract administration. Conclusions: These results indicate that SR extract can improve HF/HS-diet and STZ-induced diabetic damages in rats through inhibition of the blood glucose and insulin increase.

• Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.133-142
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• 2018

This study investigated the characteristics of obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HD) over 13 weeks in Rhbdf2 gene knockout (KO) mice. Forty 7-week-old Rhbdf2 wild and KO mice were used and the mice were divided into 4 groups: Wild-ND (n=10, Rhbdf2 wild mice, normal diet (ND)), Wild-HD (n=10, Rhbdf2 wild mice, HD), KO-ND (n=10, Rhbdf2 KO mice, ND) and KO-HD (n=10, Rhbdf2 KO mice, HD). The relative epididymal fat weight in KO-HD was significantly increased compared with that in KO-ND (P<0.01). The relative liver and spleen weights in KO-HD were decreased compared with those in Wild-HD (p < 0.05) and KO-ND (p < 0.01). The mRNA expression of SOD1 in KO-ND was significantly reduced compared with that in Wild-ND (p < 0.05). In Wild-ND and HD, the mRNA expressions of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 in epididymal fat were significantly increased compared with those in KO-ND and HD (p < 0.01). A significant increase of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 mRNA expression was observed in KO-HD compared with KO-ND (p < 0.01). These results indicated that Rhbdf2 genes may regulate high fat diet-induced obesity damage by anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative roles in fat tissue of mice.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1202-1207
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• 2016

This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of Eriobotrya japonica leaves extract (EJE) in a high-fat diet-induced obese mice model. For the analysis, 40 mice were randomly divided into five groups: normal diet (ND), high-fat diet group (HD), high-fat diet containing EJE 100 mg/kg b.w. (EJE-L), 500 mg/kg b.w. (EJE-H), and Garcinia cambogia extract 100 mg/kg b.w. in each AIN 93G supplement for 8 weeks as positive control. During the study period, food intake and body weight were measured separately. Body weight, serum triglyceride level, and total cholesterol levels of the EJE group were significantly lower than those of the HD and ND. Moreover, mice fed an EJE-containing high-fat diet showed decreased leptin levels compared with high-fat diet-induced obese mice. These results suggest that EJE has potential as an anti-obesity agent by reducing body weight and improving levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and leptin in serum.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A high-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer, while a calorie-restricted diet can extend life span by reducing the risk of these diseases. It is known that health effects of diet are partially conveyed through epigenetic mechanism including DNA methylation. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide hepatic DNA methylation to identify the epigenetic effects of HFD-induced obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed control diet (CD), calorie-restricted control diet (CRCD), or HFD for 16 weeks (after one week of acclimation to the control diet). Food intake, body weight, and liver weight were measured. Hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels were determined using enzymatic colorimetric methods. Changes in genome-wide DNA methylation were determined by a DNA methylation microarray method combined with methylated DNA immunoprecipitation. The level of transcription of individual genes was measured by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The DNA methylation statuses of genes in biological networks related to lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis were influenced by HFD-induced obesity. In HFD group, a proinflammatory Casp1 (Caspase 1) gene had hypomethylated CpG sites at the 1.5-kb upstream region of its transcription start site (TSS), and its mRNA level was higher compared with that in CD group. Additionally, an energy metabolism-associated gene Ndufb9 (NADH dehydrogenase 1 beta subcomplex 9) in HFD group had hypermethylated CpG sites at the 2.6-kb downstream region of its TSS, and its mRNA level was lower compared with that in CRCD group. CONCLUSIONS: HFD alters DNA methylation profiles in genes associated with liver lipid metabolism and hepatic steatosis. The methylation statuses of Casp1 and Ndufb9 were particularly influenced by the HFD. The expression of these genes in HFD differed significantly compared with CD and CRCD, respectively, suggesting that the expressions of Casp1 and Ndufb9 in liver were regulated by their methylation statuses.