Extracts of citrus Sudachi peel attenuate body weight gain in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet

Abstract

Citrus Sudachi is the special local product of Tokushima Prefecture, and over 98% of Sudachi consumed in Japan every year is produced in Tokushima Prefecture. In this study, we evaluated the function of sudachi peel extract (SPE) using an animal model of obesity. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet containing 1% SPE powder. Treatment with SPE significantly decreased body weight compared to that of mice fed a high-fat diet. A significant difference in body weight was observed between the control and SPE groups from 7 weeks after the start of the experiment, the significant difference continued until the end of the 14-week experiment. Reduction of blood glucose levels following insulin administration in SPE-treated mice was grater than that in control mice. Determination of mRNA expression in adipose tissue showed that the expression level of TNF-α in the SPE group was significantly decreased compared to that on the control group. These results suggest that SPE potentially has the ability to attenuate body weight gain. J. Med. Invest. 64: 20-23, February, 2017