2012 Volume 29 Issue 3 Pages 149-155
Dietary supplementation with polyphenolic compounds is associated with reduced diet-induced obesity. The leaves of Forsythia suspensa Vahl (Oleaceae) contain large amounts of polyphenolic compounds, phillyrin and forsythiaside. The anti-obesity effect of Forsythia leaf extract (FLE) prepared from the leaves of F. suspensa was examined in rats fed a high-fat diet.
Three groups of rats were fed with a high-fat diet, administered percentages consisted of 0 % (control), 2.5 % and 5.0 % FLE. Compared to the control group, body, perirenal white adipose tissue, epididymal white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue and liver weights were all significantly reduced in the two FLE groups. On plasma parameters, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were significantly lower in the two FLE administered groups.
Furthermore, the gene expressions in the liver and adipose tissues were examined by real-time PCR to better understand the mechanism of the anti-obesity effect of FLE. Liver tissue gene expressions of Fatp, Cpt1a and ACADVL, related to the activation of β-oxidation, were significantly up-regulated in the two FLE groups compared to the control group. White and brown adipose tissue gene expressions of PPARγ, adiponectin and UCP1, related to lipid metabolism, were significantly up-regulated in the two FLE groups compared to the control group.
It is suggested that the supplementation of FLE to a high-fat diet may be beneficial for preventing diet-induced obesity
